Officials break ground on $20 million facade, traffic flow project at SBN
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Major renovations are underway at the South Bend International Airport!
On Wednesday morning, airport officials along with city and county leaders broke ground on a $20 million project called SBN UpFront that will overhaul the airport's current facade and traffic flow.
"It really prepares us for the next twenty years," says Jeff Rea, President and CEO of the South Bend Regional Chamber. "We hit the million-passenger mark for the first time ever; that's a significant milestone."
The project aims to better welcome those record-levels of travelers coming to and from SBN's terminals.
"This is really going to transform the entire entrance and experience that visitors and travelers have," says James Mueller, South Bend Mayor.
The reimagined main entrance to the airport is complete with an updated aesthetic, raised crosswalks, and canopies providing shelter from rain and snow for drop-offs and pick-ups.
Clearing congestion on the airport's front drive is the major piece; the project will add a new transportation line exclusively for rideshares like Uber and Lyft, as well as shuttles and Transpo buses.
A median will help separate traffic from this new line and the main front drive strip.
"Any of those commercial vehicles will be in their own separate area, hopefully to ease congestion for our passengers who are dropping off and picking up," explains Jeremy Yahwak, SBN Airport Authority Project Manager.
"This was designed before Uber and Lyft, and all those kinds of things so moving traffic, moving people, parking, are all really critical things," Rea says.
It's all being done in an effort to upgrade passenger experience through increasing safety and efficiency to keep them coming back to SBN as they plan their next trip!
"If people have a good experience here, they get in and out of here, they're going to use it more," says Rea.
"That also means more people coming to and from our community, which means more people in hotels, more people in restaurants, and supporting the local economy," Mayor James Mueller explains.
The project is being paid for through a mix of federal and state grants, and local funding.
Airport officials say they anticipate construction to be complete by August 2027.