(Blountville, Tenn.)-- Passengers flying into and out of Tri-Cities Regional Airport over the next several months can expect to see paving equipment and extra workers outside the concourse gate areas and on the terminal ramp. Starting September 17, the Airport will begin the process of removing the existing asphalt pavement around the concourse and replacing it with heavy duty concrete. The asphalt has deteriorated due to long-term use and weather conditions. The new concrete surface will provide a heavy duty aircraft ramp that will service the Airport for the next 20 years. The total cost of the project is approximately $2 million.

Airport officials say the terminal ramp reconstruction project will take approximately 12 months and be completed in three different phases, but they aren’t anticipating any flight delays or interruptions as a result of the construction. "We want to make passengers aware that some aircraft may have to be parked farther away from the gates as a result of the repaving work. They could have a little more of a walk from the gate to the plane when boarding or unloading, but it will not affect their flights," says Patrick Wilson, TCRA executive director. "Because of the need to relocate aircraft during this project, passengers may have to board out of different gates than they are accustomed to."

The first phase of the terminal ramp reconstruction project includes gates 1, 3, and 5 on the south side of the airfield and should take approximately 90 days to complete. After phase one is finished, the repaving work may have to stop during the winter months and then resume with gates 6 and 7 in the spring. The final phase of the project will take place around gates 2 and 4.