Balfour Beatty breaks ground on Concourse B at Jacksonville International Airport

Balfour Beatty held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 10 for the long-awaited and delayed Concourse B at Jacksonville International Airport. David Jones, JIA’s director of engineering and facilities, says they plan to kick off construction on Concourse B this July and have it wrapped up by December 2026.

Representatives from JAA, the city of Jacksonville, the Florida Department of Transportation and U.S. Congress attended to celebrate the $344 million project.

The city issued a permit on May 8 for Terminal B. The Federal Aviation Administration greenlit the development on May 10 following the completion of its environmental inspection.

Balfour Beatty Construction LLC of Orlando serves as the construction manager at risk for the six-gate expansion that comprises a three-level, 186,733-square-foot project at 2400 Yankee Clipper Drive in North Jacksonville.

Jacobs Engineering is the lead design engineer and Jacksonville-based RS&H Inc. serves as the subcontractor for the architectural portion.

The concourse B at Jacksonville International Airport will comprise 118,000 square feet of second-floor space, a 20,000-square-foot mezzanine, and ground-level enclosed space. It will include more restaurants and amenities that serve passengers.

“The opening of the concourse is a sign of growth. It’s a sign of innovation,” said JAA board Chair Michelle Barnett. “Jacksonville is on the move.”

In 2023, more than 7.4 million people flew into and out of the Jacksonville International Airport. That number was 3 million higher than the previous year. The new expansion could allow at least 10 million people to fly into and out of Jacksonville every year by 2035.

Jacksonville Aviation Authority CEO Mark VanLoh said the vision for Concourse B formed more than a decade ago but it encountered some turbulence along the way.

“Everything was thrown at this project. Sixteen years ago, we dreamt of this concourse. Then the economic crisis hit and basically shut down the United States for a couple of years. We got back on our feet and then COVID hit. Then that shut us down for three years. Now we are setting records again,” VanLoh said.

The airport originally scheduled the new Concourse B to open between 2014 and 2015 after demolishing the original Concourse B in 2009.

The airport announced new plans for the concourse in 2019, but the pandemic delayed that project.

Construction phases for Concourse B at JAX

Workers will construct Concourse B over three major phases which includes the delivery of phase one, the completion of the security checkpoint expansion in fall 2023.

Phase two includes the construction of taxiway whiskey and the ramp, and the planning, design, construction and relocation of airfield equipment. The last phase involves the construction of the 190,000-square-foot Concourse B which will feature six additional gates to grow airline operations, as well as new restaurants and amenities for passengers.

The new parking structure will add approximately 2,000 additional spaces and will feature six levels of parking located next to the existing daily garage. The structure will also include changes to the rental car pickup and drop-off area, which will reduce traffic closer to the terminal.

Over the years, Balfour Beatty has been a major construction partner for Jacksonville International Airport. They’ve wrapped up more than 20 projects there that really helped breathe new life into the airport and boosted the local economy and traveler experience. Now they’re at it again with the new Concourse B expansion and third parking garage. This high-profile build is another feather in their cap when it comes to aviation projects nationwide. With decades of expertise in airport construction under their belt, Balfour Beatty is the right company for a job like this that will transform JAX for the future.