Sea-Tac Airport now home to longest aerial walkway over an active taxiway
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) made history last week by moving the huge – no, the gigantic – centerpiece of a new record-breaking pedestrian walkway from one part of the airport to another and lifting it, very, very slowly, into place.
The centerpiece is the 320-foot-long center span of the 780-foot-long walkway being built as part of a $968 million International Arrivals Facility (IAF) at Sea-Tac that will double the number of international capable gates and greatly improve the arrivals experience.
A signature feature of the project is an aerial walkway, or bridge, that stretches 780 feet across and 85 feet above an existing taxiway. When complete, the walkway will be the longest structure over an active taxiway.
Arriving international passengers will enter the steel and glass walkway from Sea-Tac’s South Satellite and walk over an active taxiway as they make their way to the new arrivals facility and go through customs. As they walk, they’ll be treated to views of Mount Rainier (on clear days) and the sight of planes as large as 747-400s taxiing underneath the walkway.
Moving a monster
The center span is the size of a football field and weighs 1,565 tons. Port of Seattle officials say that weight is equivalent to 14 blue whales or eight locomotives.
As you might imagine, moving this huge center span across the airport and up into place was no easy job. But between Thursday night and Saturday morning, the job was completed.
Here’s how they did it
The center span of the walkway was prefabricated off-site at the airport’s Cargo 2 area.
Late last Thursday night, when it was time to bring the span over to the International Arrivals Facility construction site, it was moved down the closed center runway very, very slowly – at a speed of 2 miles per hour – with the help of four remote-controlled transporters, called Self Propelled Modular Transporters.
Early Friday morning the aerial pedestrian walkway span arrived at its location between the South Satellite and Concourse A. Several hours of site checks and adjustments followed to make sure all the pieces would line up between the already-constructed piers. Then, four strand jacks began lifting the center span into place, at a rate of 20 feet per hour.
As this unique project was underway, lucky passengers – and SEA Visitor Pass holders – were able to watch the span’s progress through the windows from many spots in the concourses and from the South satellite.
The Port of Seattle also kept us up to date on Twitter and on Facebook.
Who will walk over the walkway first and when can you do it?
The new International Arrivals Facility (IAF) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport may be open and operational by Fall 2020.
An airport spokesman said the first people (other than project testers) to walk over the bridge will likely be elected officials and commissioners. After that, only arriving international passengers on planes arriving at SEA’s South Satellite will have the thrill of walking across the world’s largest structure over an active taxiway.
All photos courtesy of The Port of Seattle.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.