Redmond Airport Gets Final Costs Approved, Construction to Begin Soon

On May 27, the Redmond City Council approved final cost estimates for the Redmond Municipal Airport expansion in the amount of $98,059,847, as well as other approvals on designs and inspection costs. The final approvals come ahead of the upcoming expansion, which is set to begin on June 18.

Renderings of what the airport improvements will look like. Credit: Redmond Airport

With a rapidly growing region, and passenger counts increasing from 500,000 to 1.2 million over the past 10 years, the Redmond Airport expansion will accommodate capacity demands, improve ADA accessibility and enhance passenger experience.

While the official groundbreaking will take place on June 18, Jodi Low with the Redmond Airport, says passengers will start being rerouted through the airport concourse on June 17. The project is expected to continue through 2027, with a grand opening in 2028.

During construction, passengers can expect certain changes when traversing through the airport. All boarding will take place in gates one through five, and passengers will be guided along a clearly marked route once outside on the tarmac, to bypass construction of an underground baggage tunnel.

In August, other detours will take place to reroute people through a tunnel to keep passengers safe during construction.

While Low said the initial construction on the baggage tunnel will result in a slightly longer walk, the trek will shorten up in August, when the airport adds storage containers to create a covered walkway for the duration of the construction.

The expansion will add more than 80,000 square feet of new space including seven new jet bridges, eliminating the need for passengers to walk outside. Other additions include expanded waiting areas, additional terminal passenger seating and over 6,000 square feet of new concessions. Additional amenities coming with the expansion include new restrooms and a post-security service animal relief area.

The project is estimated to cost about $180 million and will be paid for through state and federal funding, grants and an airport bond. Revenue from the airport, including money from parking and concessions, will also go toward funding the expansion. Taxpayers will not be directly paying for any of the expansion project.

This article appears in Source Weekly June 5, 2025.