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$1.3B Sacramento International Airport expansion includes new walkway between Terminal B and Concourse B

$1.3B worth of upgrades announced for the Sacramento International Airport
$1.3B worth of upgrades announced for the Sacramento International Airport 00:36

SACRAMENTO - There are big changes planned for the Sacramento International Airport. On Wednesday, the Sacramento County Department of Airports announced a $1.3 billion expansion project that would accommodate new passenger growth for the better part of the next decade. 

One part of the new project, dubbed "SMForward," is a pedestrian walkway that will run along the existing tram that connects Concourse B and Terminal B, which will give people the option to walk instead of ride. The walkway will have moving walkways in both directions as well as a set of escalators connecting both halves of the structure.

Following are images from the department of airports showing where the walkway will be and what it could look like.

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Sacramento County Department of Airports  
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A concept design of the outside of the walkway. Sacramento County Department of Airports
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A concept design of the inside of the walkway. Sacramento County Department of Airports  

The conceptual design for the walkway is scheduled to be completed on November 18 with an estimated price tag of $130 million.

Other parts of the SMForward project include: 

  • Expansions to both Terminal A and Concourse B, which will add gates and new amenities
  • Terminal B parking garage
  • Consolidated ground transportation center that will centralize taxi, rideshare, and off-site shuttle providers into a single area that is walkable from both terminals
  • Consolidated rental car facility, allowing passengers access to the Airport's rental car providers without the need to ride a shuttle bus

The project is expected to be completed in late 2027. 

Passenger traffic in 2022 at SMF returned to 95 percent of its historic peak, which was back in 2019. Forecasted passenger growth indicates an average of 4.3 percent annually through 2041, according to the Sacramento County Department of Airports.

The project will be financed through a combination of user fees, federal and state grants, and municipal bonds issued by the airport.

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