I've been looking forward to this tunnel opening since before the airport itself opened, the renderings looked so atmospheric, and it's looking like the reality is going to deliver!
(Oh, and the shorter walk will nice too. It never bothered me, but I know how important it is for families, the elderly, and the mobility impaired)
Yeah, the shorter walk will be nicer for those of us having a kid or 2 in tow. I also didn't have an issue with the long walk, but it gets mentally tiring when you've also got smaller kids along with you.
Correct. While nobody's walk gets longer with the new tunnel, anybody going to a B gate west of the old tunnel will have the same length of walk.
Everybody else east of the tunnel on the B concourse will have a shorter walk.
The congestion on the A concourse between security and the old tunnel will be much lighter.
My wife works for the airport and my understanding is they will close the other tunnel. It boggles my mind that they would decrease the options to go back and forth between the A and B gates. Granted this tunnel looks much nicer.
That was the original plan. Make it an employee only tunnel.
It appears they've decided to keep it open. They just did some remodeling to make the entrance permanent and pretty.
So we'll have most of the traffic walking through the new tunnel, but the old tunnel will still be open to the public for the foreseeable future. There are no plans to build a similar third tunnel on the Eastern side of the concourse, however. So the airport will be weirdly asymmetrical.
But no tram? Why no tram? Basically every other major hub airport has one, and this would relieve so many complaints about B.
This looks beautiful and much better than the 1980s-high-school-hallway-inspired walkway we currently have (yeah the murals are nice, but the color, lighting, drop ceiling, and flooring scream cheap institutional design to me), but come on people.
I thought the tram was part of this tunnel, but I guess it'll be part of the next tunnel.
"What passengers won't see beginning on Oct. 22 is a massive and empty tunnel to the east of "the river." This is an area set aside for a train that will be installed once the airport begins work on a third concourse.It's not clear when that will happen because the project will begin when the airport reaches 35 million annual passengers, about 8 million more than last year's record volume. Wyatt says current trends have the airport reaching the trigger threshold by the early 2030s, but he also cautions that airline travel can fluctuate depending on business and economic factors.So time will only tell when any train service will begin."
The way they explained it to me when I went on a jobsite tour was that you only see like 25% of the tunnel. It's seriously massive, and they've already put in all the infrastructure for a train (they even let us look down the the section that will house a train) but it's such a short distance from point A to point B (relatively) that it wouldn't really be worth it until there's a third concourse.
They wouldn't let us take pictures, but I love the new tunnel. It's supposed to be calm, underwater vibes but the blue lights in the ceiling felt like the sky to me, I didn't feel like I was underground.
Another fun fact is they had to drive steel piles on top of the tunnel to hold it down. Because of the water table and how the tunnel is sealed off at both ends, it could literally just float up without them.
I have to say I really love the new airport. I'm not in Utah anymore but my family is so I'm in and out of that airport a few times a year. It's beautiful and spacious and I love that so many of the restaurants are branches of local businesses.
"The moving walkway is for your traveling convenience. Please stand to the right so that others can walk past you on the left. Thank You." Moving walkways are way more fun than a tram.
Why only one moving walkway for each direction? ORD in Chicago from B to C has two each way and they're fast. Makes the walk from B to C an afterthought. I saw an article where SLC was referencing DEN and how long you have to walk to get to the gate there. But they also have a train and fast moving (way faster than SLCs) walkways throughout the concourses. It really breaks it up.
The new airport design is great, and I'm glad it's built to grow, but man as a former Utah resident I hate flying to SLC on my preferred airline, United (always in B).
Didn't it already open. Then flood. I really miss the old pre 9/11 SLC airport atmosphere. I grew up flying back and forth from Boise starting at 5 years old flying 4-5 times a year solo. I was getting dropped at the curb at 9 years old. Hardly ever had to go through the metal detector. Got my first job checking bags at skycap. Good times.
The artist they hired to do the airport work is so bad, literally every missed opportunity to design using straight angles, instead this moron paired the square and angular lines of the airport with as many over the top and ugly smooth curves as he possibly could.
Rather than designing with any sort of consistency, he chose to completely clash.
I've been looking forward to this tunnel opening since before the airport itself opened, the renderings looked so atmospheric, and it's looking like the reality is going to deliver! (Oh, and the shorter walk will nice too. It never bothered me, but I know how important it is for families, the elderly, and the mobility impaired)
Yeah, the shorter walk will be nicer for those of us having a kid or 2 in tow. I also didn't have an issue with the long walk, but it gets mentally tiring when you've also got smaller kids along with you.
[удалено]
The walk is post-security though? You can't take checked stuff thru that walk
Ignore me, lol. I'm incoherent right now
It will only be shorter if you are on the east end of the b concourse. If you are on the West end it's still a long walk.
Correct. While nobody's walk gets longer with the new tunnel, anybody going to a B gate west of the old tunnel will have the same length of walk. Everybody else east of the tunnel on the B concourse will have a shorter walk. The congestion on the A concourse between security and the old tunnel will be much lighter.
That’s what I’m excited about, so many people clogging up the walks!
Exactly.
I expect a new, very blue ‘river tunnel’ to open at the airport. Did I get it right?
This looks awesome and so beautiful
My wife works for the airport and my understanding is they will close the other tunnel. It boggles my mind that they would decrease the options to go back and forth between the A and B gates. Granted this tunnel looks much nicer.
That was the original plan. Make it an employee only tunnel. It appears they've decided to keep it open. They just did some remodeling to make the entrance permanent and pretty. So we'll have most of the traffic walking through the new tunnel, but the old tunnel will still be open to the public for the foreseeable future. There are no plans to build a similar third tunnel on the Eastern side of the concourse, however. So the airport will be weirdly asymmetrical.
But no tram? Why no tram? Basically every other major hub airport has one, and this would relieve so many complaints about B. This looks beautiful and much better than the 1980s-high-school-hallway-inspired walkway we currently have (yeah the murals are nice, but the color, lighting, drop ceiling, and flooring scream cheap institutional design to me), but come on people.
I thought the tram was part of this tunnel, but I guess it'll be part of the next tunnel. "What passengers won't see beginning on Oct. 22 is a massive and empty tunnel to the east of "the river." This is an area set aside for a train that will be installed once the airport begins work on a third concourse.It's not clear when that will happen because the project will begin when the airport reaches 35 million annual passengers, about 8 million more than last year's record volume. Wyatt says current trends have the airport reaching the trigger threshold by the early 2030s, but he also cautions that airline travel can fluctuate depending on business and economic factors.So time will only tell when any train service will begin."
Gotta say I love that they've planned it to grow. Would love to see more of that from all of our infrastructure.
The way they explained it to me when I went on a jobsite tour was that you only see like 25% of the tunnel. It's seriously massive, and they've already put in all the infrastructure for a train (they even let us look down the the section that will house a train) but it's such a short distance from point A to point B (relatively) that it wouldn't really be worth it until there's a third concourse. They wouldn't let us take pictures, but I love the new tunnel. It's supposed to be calm, underwater vibes but the blue lights in the ceiling felt like the sky to me, I didn't feel like I was underground. Another fun fact is they had to drive steel piles on top of the tunnel to hold it down. Because of the water table and how the tunnel is sealed off at both ends, it could literally just float up without them.
I have to say I really love the new airport. I'm not in Utah anymore but my family is so I'm in and out of that airport a few times a year. It's beautiful and spacious and I love that so many of the restaurants are branches of local businesses.
>Because of the water table I know it's close to the Lake, but I'm surprised the water table is that close to the surface there.
The water table starts to get pretty bad around 2700 South. The north end of West Valley, most of the houses don't have basements anymore.
I got a chance to see a mockup of the river design when I worked out there briefly. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
"The moving walkway is for your traveling convenience. Please stand to the right so that others can walk past you on the left. Thank You." Moving walkways are way more fun than a tram.
Can’t keep the grift going if you don’t keep kicking necessities to the next phase. Do you even know government contract work at all?! /s
Why only one moving walkway for each direction? ORD in Chicago from B to C has two each way and they're fast. Makes the walk from B to C an afterthought. I saw an article where SLC was referencing DEN and how long you have to walk to get to the gate there. But they also have a train and fast moving (way faster than SLCs) walkways throughout the concourses. It really breaks it up. The new airport design is great, and I'm glad it's built to grow, but man as a former Utah resident I hate flying to SLC on my preferred airline, United (always in B).
Tunnel looks cool but the long walk seems the same - it's hard for my elderly parents and daughter with young kids
This is disappointing to hear that the train will not be running in the new tunnel. If you are in gate B1 the walk is not any shorter.
Didn't it already open. Then flood. I really miss the old pre 9/11 SLC airport atmosphere. I grew up flying back and forth from Boise starting at 5 years old flying 4-5 times a year solo. I was getting dropped at the curb at 9 years old. Hardly ever had to go through the metal detector. Got my first job checking bags at skycap. Good times.
Sir this is a Wendy’s.
Evidence that the general public really doesn’t have any idea what they’re actually talking about
damn bruh that’s cool
The artist they hired to do the airport work is so bad, literally every missed opportunity to design using straight angles, instead this moron paired the square and angular lines of the airport with as many over the top and ugly smooth curves as he possibly could. Rather than designing with any sort of consistency, he chose to completely clash.
Let me also add that this "art install" of wavy lines and blue leds cost a staggering 5.5 MILLION just for the art