The IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program (ITRP) continues to take major steps forward.

On Feb. 27, the Houston City Council approved an ordinance that appropriated funding out of Houston Airports’ Consolidated IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program (ITRP) AMT Construction Fund for the ITRP Enabling Utilities-Landside Project at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

This latest successful appropriation provides funding for engineering and design, pre-construction services, advance package construction works, and engineering testing services, relating to the construction of the required utilities.  The Council approved and authorized a design-build contract between the City of Houston and Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc.

According to Michael Lawrence, ITRP Project Manager for the EUL project, the intent of the project is to improve the water pressure and capacity of the Public Water System (PWS) supply and delivery system within the IAH Central Terminal Area to increase reliability and prevent water pressure problems and water shortages in the terminals.

The Enabling Utilities Landside Project Consists of the following key components:

• Construction of the West Triturator near the old IAH Air Traffic Control Tower west of Terminal A. A Triturator is a small sanitary facility located airside that processes wastewater from aircraft and is essentially a waste grinder inside a well that allows for easy dumping by aircraft service vehicles.
• Analysis of the City of Houston’s PWS at IAH as a single pressure plane able to be isolated from the larger City of Houston’s water pressure plane to allow the IAH system to run independently in the case of low pressures or increased IAH water needs.
• Design and construction of various Water System distribution and storage improvements, including a new East Water Facility, improvements to the existing south water facility, and design and construction of a new waterline from the new East Water Facility to Terminal A
• Design and construction of a new East Triturator in coordination with the MLIT Project
• An additive Option No.1 – Central Terminal Area Waterline Improvements Preconstruction Services complete to Concept Design Stage

Previous Council action in December 2018 cleared the pathway for the redevelopment of the Mickey Leland International Terminal (MLIT) and the Federal Inspection Services (FIS) facility, which includes a new centralized International Ticketing Hall. Fentress Architects was selected to provide A/E services and are currently working to provide an overall concept for the MLIT International Terminal, new Ticketing Hall and FIS facilities.

Steven Andersen, Executive Program Manager for ITRP, is very pleased with the approval of the EUL contract. “This and the previous Council approvals mark significant milestones for the Program. We now have all the major contracts approved, and we are fully engaged in the next phases of the Program.” Andersen said he was extremely appreciative of HAS’s guidance and support throughout the process, and he also lauded the efforts of the ITRP team that has stayed the course and continued to work hard throughout the lengthy approval process.

“We look forward to making great strides in advancing the Program in the future,” he said.