Idaho's Boise airport is gearing up to soar into a new age of expansion. The city has invested in Hensel Phelps to lead a $700 million expansion project that will change the experience of travel for millions of passengers in the upcoming years, as the passenger numbers are rising very fast and the terminal space is almost at its limit.

The City Council of Boise passed the contract with the not-to-exceed limit on August 19, which authorized Hensel Phelps to undertake one of the largest infrastructure projects in Idaho’s history. 

The BOI Upgrade Program, with a duration of almost a decade till 2029, will add up to 10 new gates in Concourse A. The project will renovate the baggage handling system and construct a new central utility plant. In addition to that, two stages of terminal changes will expand passenger flow and upgrade operations.

Boise's use of the CM/GC (Construction Manager/General Contractor) method showed that carrying out the airport expansion was difficult without interrupting its everyday functioning. The methodology offers the advantage of lowering costs and giving a certain degree of safety in terms of finances, while no pause in the flow of traffic into the airport is assured due to the collaboration between different parties.

The extension is coming at the time when it is most needed. Since 2014, the number of passengers using the airport has risen by 81% and in 2024, it will serve almost 5 million travelers, as the numbers for 2025 are already higher. Airport officials state that now is the time to invest in the airport, as this is essential for attracting airlines to Boise and ensuring competitiveness in the national air travel market if more airlines choose to operate here.

One of the most appropriate companies for the job is Hensel Phelps, based in Greeley, Colorado. The contractor is among the top U.S. builders and is currently managing other big aviation projects, including airport expansions in Columbus and Tampa.

The Boise project is an exclusive example of the national trend of airports overhauling their facilities on a massive scale to accommodate demand. As has been reported by Contractor News, the $1.6 billion facelift for the Cleveland airport, as well as the $1.3 billion upgrade of Hollywood-Burbank Airport, are part of a larger wave of investments designed to increase the capacity of airports in general.

Boise Airport is not just expanding the size of its facility, but with the construction, it is also making a powerful visual statement about its role as a major transport hub in the Mountain West. 

More gates for flights, smooth airport operations, and an accommodating environment for passengers will make the airport a great choice for travelers.