Portland International Airport routinely ranks among America’s best airports. Soon, it will have one more unique feature for travelers to marvel at: a 392,000 square-foot wooden roof.
Airport officials on Wednesday showed off the fabrication yard where the roof is being built. Designers say the massive structure will evoke the Pacific Northwest’s forests and rivers, and will allow natural light to filter through the wooden beams to give travelers the feeling of walking through a park. But it won’t entirely erase the existing PDX experience.
“Yes, there will be carpet as well,” said Chief Projects Officer for Port of Portland Vince Granato.
The wood used to construct the dramatic arched beams of the roof is sourced from Oregon and Washington, and has benefits beyond its visual appeal. “There is no steel within those particular wood beams,” said Granato. “They’re designed to absorb any energy that could come from a Cascadia subduction earthquake.”
The roof, and several other major upgrades to the airport, are part of a $2 billion, five-year project.
Because of the roof’s massive size, it can’t be constructed on-site without causing major delays to airport operations. Construction staff explained how the roof is being built at a construction site. Once complete, each of the 20 roof modules will be transported across the airfield, hoisted up and slid into place, “almost like they’re massive cassette tapes.”
Officials estimate that the roof modules will begin to be moved into place by mid-2022. The overall project is expected to be completed in 2025.
—Jayati Ramakrishnan
—Dave Killen
©2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.