Sacramento International breaks ground on walkway construction

Contractor Balfour Beatty has broken ground on the latest passenger-focused upgrade at Sacramento International Airport (SMF), as part of its billion-dollar SMForward programme. 

The $140m pedestrian walkway will be paid for with a $33m grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law pot, and a low-interest federal loan through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, along with airport revenue bonds. 

The new construction will connect Terminal B with Concourse B with a skybridge featuring escalators, elevators, and travelators along a “panoramic corridor”. 

$2.5m of the $140m overall cost will be spent on “three major pieces of art”. 

“This walkway, with two sky bridges and a hub, is built with the future in mind. They will provide SMF’s passengers a flexible portal that can connect to a future concourse to meet our growing region’s need for air travel for decades to come,” said Phil Serna, Sacramento County Supervisor.

Balfour Beatty was chosen as “Construction Manager at Risk” (CMAR) following a competitive tender process. 

The Sacramento County Department of Airports, a local government organisation that plans and operates the airport and three others in the area, said the CMAR option was chosen to aid collaboration and keep costs to a minimum. 

“The CMAR delivery method is beneficial because it allows for early collaboration between the Department, the project designer, and the construction manager, leading to better project design and cost control. The project will be delivered through multiple progressive guaranteed maximum price (PGMP) which reduce financial risk for the Department,” it explained. 

“This is the first project of our $1.3 billion SMForward program and the culmination of years of planning and creativity,” said Cindy Nichol, Director Sacramento County Department of Airports.

“By transforming how people experience travel, we’re enhancing our community’s connection to the region and the world, boosting our economy and improving our quality of life,” she said.