Over three years after breaking ground, on November 12th the new Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal at Indianapolis International Airport began welcoming passengers to the city’s newest landmark. The historical opening marks the first major U.S. airport designed and constructed since 9/11 and is one of the most advanced airport facilities in the nation.

Hunt Construction Group proudly joined Indiana’s Lieutenant Governor, Becky Skillman, Indianapolis Mayor, Gregory A. Ballard; Indianapolis Airport Authority Executive Director, John J. Kish; Indianapolis Airport Authority Board President, Ambassador Randall L. Tobias; Deputy Secretary of Transportation, The Honorable Thomas J. Barrett; Transportation Security Administration General Manager, Melvin Carraway; Delta Airlines Senior Vice President of Network Planning, Robert Cortelyou and Indianapolis International Airport Interfaith Chaplaincy Chaplin, Reverend Yung Sheng Chen for the November 11th ribbon cutting.

The first planes departed the $1.1 billion facility on the morning of November 12th around 6 a.m. with the first flights having arrived the evening before from Chicago and Las Vegas. Ambassadors were placed around the airport to help passengers find their desired locations quickly.  However, with just two terminals and a huge Civic Plaza, passengers soon discovered navigating the airport is a breeze.

Security checkpoints have also been simplified with just two locations equipped with highly advanced and efficient security scanners to move passengers through quickly. Passengers may also access either gate once they have passed through security.

The facility is also one of the most environmentally friendly airport facilities in the nation.   Some of the green techniques and devices include electrical connections with air-conditioning at the gate to allow planes to shut off their engines while waiting; underground jet fuel delivery to avoid the use of fuel trucks; low-flow toilets and drip irrigation; in-house recycling of food, newspaper, de-icing fluids and building materials; a reflective roof to cut down on air-conditioning needs; automated light dimmer switches and more efficient fixtures as well as solar lighting and LED runway lights and low maintenance landscaping.

Hunt Construction Group, in a joint venture with Smoot Construction, started work on the impressive facility in July 2005 after completing the Indianapolis Air Traffic Control Tower and Administration Base Building in June.  The completion of this monumental project marks another successful project for Hunt and another historic landmark for the City of Indianapolis.

For more information on the Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal, please sign up here to receive our quarterly newsletter Landmarks.  The facility is featured in the upcoming issue.