SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 15, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The demolition of the former “Delta Tower” at the Salt Lake International Airport marks a milestone in the current construction program, officials said Monday.
“Demolition of the former airport facilities continues to move forward on schedule to make way for building Phase II of the New SLC Redevelopment Program,” said a news release from the airport. “A major milestone in the demolition occurred on Feb. 15 when what is known as the ‘Delta Tower’ came down.”
The tower was originally built around 1989-90 for Delta Air Lines to direct aircraft to their gates after the FAA handed over the planes from their purview, the news release said. The tower, which stood at 84 feet high, continued to operate until The New SLC opened on Sept. 15 and the replacement tower became operational.
The last major milestone in airport construction was on Oct. 27, 2020, when Concourse B opened.
Concourse B has a total of 21 gates to house Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United. On Sept. 15, 2020, the majority of The New SLC opened. The New SLC is the name of the airport redevelopment program. Delta Air Lines currently occupies the 25 gates in Concourse A-west, including six international gates.
A 990-ft. long tunnel — originally built in 2004 — connects concourses A and B. Passengers can see the four seasons of Utah represented as they make their way through the tunnel. Salt Lake City-based artist Tracy O’Very Covey painted summer and fall, while Texas-based artist Daas painted winter and spring.
With Phase I of The New SLC complete, phase II includes the build out of Concourse A to the east and construction of the concrete portion of a permanent tunnel to transport passengers between concourses A and B. This is expected to be completed by late 2024. For more information on phasing, see the demolition timeline here.
