April 22, 2015
Officials are scheduled to sign paperwork resolving lawsuits that have stalled a multibillion-dollar Philadelphia International Airport project at noon Wednesday, 6ABC.com is reporting.
The long-awaited expansion and modernization of the airport, called the Capacity Enhancement Program, is anticipated to improve operational efficiencies, connectivity and every aspect of customer experience; strengthen a vital regional economic engine and further elevate the greater Philadelphia region’s status as a global destination, according to the Philadelphia International Airport’s website.
“Philadelphia International Airport is the economic engine for all of Southeastern Pennsylvania,” Mayor Michael Nutter said in a statement. “This expansion program is critical to the economic health and growth of our entire region.”
Current
plans include extending the runway by 1,500 feet, designing a new Automated
People Mover (APM) system that can move travelers between terminals quickly
and conveniently, redesigning several terminals and more.
The
project is expected to be completed in phases over the next 12 to 15 years and funded through airport revenue bonds, passenger facility charges, Federal
Airport Improvement Program grants and other airport revenues. No local tax
dollars will be used to fund the improvements.
Read the full Capacity Enhancement Program outline here.
