ST. LOUIS, MO — St. Louis Lambert International Airport recently broke ground on a new Airfield Maintenance and Snow Removal Equipment Facility. The event marks the start of construction on the first of two projects in the airport’s West Airfield Program, part of its long-term comprehensive master plan to modernize operations and improve passenger service. U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer, and Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, Executive Director of St. Louis Lambert International Airport, participated in the groundbreaking.
“This new facility represents a major step forward in strengthening the airport’s infrastructure,” Hamm-Niebruegge said. “The West Airfield Program is separate from the Consolidated Terminal Plan. These upgrades are needed regardless of future terminal decisions, and the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] strongly supports them.”
The 285,000-square-foot complex will consolidate critical airfield operations including snow removal, the airport auto shop, materials warehousing, landscaping, and maintenance into one centralized location. Currently, these functions are spread across nine outdated buildings, some more than 50 years old.
The $114.92 million maintenance facility project will be built by Wright Construction Services. Funding was made possible by a $20 million grant from the FAA that was supported by Schmitt, and a nearly $4.67 million grant under the Airport Infrastructure Grants program via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The airlines that use the airport approved and backed the bonding necessary for the remaining funding.
Construction of the Airfield Maintenance Facility is expected to be completed by late 2027. Once finished, work will begin on the West Deicing Pad, the second phase of the West Airfield Program. The Deicing Pad will be built where the existing airfield maintenance facility currently sits. When complete, it will allow planes to be deiced at a location closer to the runways, improving airfield operational efficiency and safety. Additionally, the new West Deicing Pad will enhance the airport’s collection of fluids that drip off the planes, thus improving the environment.
