McCarran to close gates for ramp work

McCarran International Airport on Tuesday will temporarily close seven of 19 gates on its C Concourse to prepare for renovation of nearby ramps. Because the work will require many Southwest Airlines flights to shift to the nearby B Concourse, McCarran officials are reminding outbound travelers to check their gate assignments before heading to security checkpoints.

The ramp renovation, a $29.3 million project, will replace existing asphalt with a more durable concrete surface, the airport said in a statement. This work will continue in phases until all of the C Concourse's ramp areas are replaced.

Work should conclude in mid-2012, the airport said.

McCarran said it will later close additional C Concourse areas in phases, although the majority of the C Gates will remain open as construction occurs outdoors within the ramp area.

Southwest's remaining flights will be housed at gates B-9 through B-15, and at gates B-19 through B-21, the airport said. These B gates are reachable on foot from the C Concourse using a bridge behind the C Annex security checkpoint. Spirit Airlines, Virgin America and some WestJet flights were also moved within the B Concourse to accommodate this construction, the airport said.

A small percentage of Southwest flights already operate from McCarran's B Concourse, the airport said.

"Southwest Airlines has operated from the C gates for more than a dozen years, and its frequent customers have become very familiar with the airline's location at McCarran," Clark County Director of Aviation Randall Walker said in the statement. "Over time, many travelers have become used to heading to the C gates before they first check to see at which gate their flight will depart. But that routine needs to change because soon a very significant percentage of Southwest flights will no longer be departing from the C gates."

To avoid delays, Walker suggests fliers visit mccarrran.com online, or read the flight information display screens in the airport before heading to security.

The Federal Aviation Administration will provide more than $15.7 million toward the ramp renovation's $29.3 million cost through Airport Improvement Program grants, the airport said; the rest will be financed with revenue from airport operations.

The Clark County Board of Commissioners in July awarded the C ramp contract to North Las Vegas-based TAB Contractors Inc. During its busiest periods, the airport said, the project will employ up to 60 full-time construction workers.

Contact reporter Matthew Crowley at
mcrowley@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0304.