This SC Airport Is Undergoing Multi-Million-Dollar Improvements. Here Are the Details
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is in the midst of several major improvement projects, including modernizing terminal glass and repaving a portion of its runway.
Runway 4/22, which all aircraft at GSP use, was last paved 17 years ago. The project includes repaving more than 6,500 feet of runway and 11,001 feet of shoulder and safety areas, repairing concrete panels, and replacing runway markings.
Greenville Spartanburg, with 3 million passengers a year, is the state’s third busiest airport after Charleston and Myrtle Beach.
This work is taking place after the last scheduled arrival each night, but will require two 60-hour weekend runway closures — 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11 until 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14 and 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18 until 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 21.
“While we understand the temporary closures may cause some inconvenience, these upgrades are essential to maintaining safe and reliable travel experiences for many years to come,” an airport news release said.
The airport said on its website passenger activity likely will increase around 5% per year for the next 10 years, as will general aviation and cargo flights, making the repaving essential.
Zachry Construction of San Antonio, Texas, is handling the widening of the southern portion of Taxilane 2, reconstructing the South General Aviation Apron, rehabilitating existing asphalt taxilane pavement and installing new taxiway edge lighting.
The company said the improvements will expand aircraft parking and maneuvering capacity.
The terminal glass replacement project is a $10 million endeavor to replace all the glass in Concourse A and Concourse B.
The glass systems were installed in the 1980s.
“Glass technology has much improved and newer glass systems will provide improved energy efficiency and better interior conditions,” the news release said.
The new Smart Glass will automatically shade during sunlight and clear when it is dark, improving temperatures in the gate areas and conserving energy.
“Over the years, it has been difficult to ensure that the gate areas remain comfortable in peak summer and winter months,” the release said. It will be completed by the end of October.
In addition, the airport is building a 3-megawatt solar canopy array on the roof of Parking Garage B and Parking Garage C, with a 4-megawatt battery energy storage system to connect to a Battery Energy System to be used in the event of an outage.
The $27.5 million project is expected to be completed in fall 2027.
It can power the airport for up to 4 hours and then backup diesel generators will kick in to allow the solar network to recharge.
“The ability to generate our own power and store up to 4-megawatts of additional backup power provides GSP resiliency during inclement weather and power outages while reducing overall utility costs for the facility,” the news release said.
Besides generating power, the solar array will cover parking spaces on the top level of each garage.
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