The newly rebuilt terminal at the San Diego International Airport is under construction again – this time for cracking concrete.
Amid the busy summer season, forest green barriers have sprung up between travelers and Terminal 2’s pavilion for departures as crews work to repair the cracks on the sidewalk.
The damage is cosmetic and not a structural problem, airport officials say, and it was caused by traffic on the upper ramp.
“Everything was done appropriately to the Caltrans standards. It just turns out that the movement of the roadway is causing these cracks,” said Airport Authority spokesperson Rebecca Bloomfield.
The authority instructed crews to rip out the walkway and replace it while the repairs are still covered under the contractors’ contingency budget.
The broken sidewalk was completed just last summer by the Sundt and Kiewit construction companies under a $230 million contract.
The $1 million cost of repairs will be shared by the contractors and Airport Authority, but at no additional cost to the terminal’s Green Build expansion budget.
By the end of this year, officials expect to have the two phases of repairs completed. Crews will try a different mix of concrete and install a gap between the road and sidewalk to mitigate the problem, Bloomfield explained.
However, figuring out how to navigate around the construction barriers in the meantime is costing passengers some patience.
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“Do we have to go all the way down and get in line? That’s kind of silly,” said traveler Jeff Fenn as he surveyed the long, temporary wall.
Drivers pulling in seemed confused about where to drop off and load up passengers and luggage.
Airport officials say vehicles can park in front of the wall and signs will soon be added to make it clearer.
