Juneau International Airport’s parking is about to undergo some major changes soon, and according to airport officials, parking is going to be in short supply throughout the summer and possibly into the fall.
“Space at the airport is limited in general and parking this summer will be a bit like a puzzle game,” said Ke Mell, airport architect and project manager.
On Monday the municipal-owned airport announced that a monthslong construction project will begin next Wednesday, May 31, for parking lot improvements, including repaving, new curbing, lighting and draining, as well as installing a new payment system in the short-term lot.
The project is expected to cost around $10 million, paid for by Federal Aviation Administration CARES Act funding.
According to Mell, construction will go on throughout the summer and is hoped to be finished by early November.
The airport’s long-term parking lot will close down for the duration of the summer — and possibly into the fall — beginning Wednesday when the project kicks off, according to Pam Chapin, the airport’s administrative assistant.
For residents who still need long-term parking at the airport, a temporary long-term lot north of the terminal has been open since last week and it is the suggested alternative.
“Parking will be very short, and we ask that if people can find an alternative means to the airport it will be the best,” Chapin said.
Residents who park at the temporary lot will have up to 14 days to park there during construction before their vehicle is towed and impounded at the owner’s expense, according to the airport.
The airport’s short-term parking will continue to stay where it is and be open for use until mid-June. After that, its location along with taxi staging and rental car parking will be temporarily relocated for a short period during the later stages of construction.
Mell said some of those locations could move more than once during the project, and suggested residents give themselves a bit of extra time when coming to the airport in case the parking has shifted since their last visit.
“We have been needing this project for decades and finally, we can do it but for a number of reasons we can’t give as much public advance notice as we like, but more updates will be on the way,” she said.
During the time in June when the short-term lot will be closed is when the new payment system will be implemented, which will require passengers to park before their stay in the lot both for short visits and overnight trips.
The system and pre-payment requirement has already been implemented at the long-term lot.
• Contact reporter Clarise Larson at clarise.larson@juneauempire.com or (651)-528-1807.
