Engineering Excellence on a Bridge Connected to a Terminal Building

Ryan Jenkins and Kevin O’Connor Share Lessons From Pittsburgh International Airport in Modern Steel Construction

Major airport projects often focus attention on terminals — but the infrastructure that connects passengers to those spaces can be just as critical to the overall passenger experience. At Pittsburgh International Airport, a new terminal required a new front-door roadway system, resulting in a bridge design that challenged convention and elevated both form and function.

In a newly published article in Modern Steel Construction, Ryan Jenkins, P.E., Ph.D., and Kevin O’Connor, P.E., examine the design and construction of the airport’s terminal front bridge, detailing the engineering decisions behind one of the project’s most important and complex components.

Jenkins and O’Connor both have extensive experience in complex transportation and structural design. Their work on this project reflects a deep understanding of technical performance and the role infrastructure plays in shaping user experience.

In the article, they describe how the bridge — a 1,300-foot-long, two-level structure carrying arrivals and departures on two separate roadways stacked above a commercial roadway — required a series of unconventional solutions to meet tight spatial constraints and align with the terminal’s architectural vision. As they note, the project “challenged conventional design in several ways,” including the use of steel trapezoidal box girders to achieve both structural efficiency and a smoother, more refined aesthetic.

One of the key insights from the piece is how closely the bridge design was integrated with the broader terminal project. Every element, from framing to pier placement, had to account for limited vertical clearance, ongoing active airport operations and underground infrastructure — all while maintaining constructability and long-term performance.

Read the full article, “Thinking Outside the Box,” in the June 2026 issue of Modern Steel Construction, published by the American Institute of Steel Construction.