A Modern, Sustainable Facility for Western Nebraska Travelers 

Seeking to drive economic opportunities to western Nebraska and enhance customer experience, the North Platte Airport Authority is building a new passenger terminal at the North Platte Regional Airport. The new $29.6 million terminal will offer passengers jet bridge boarding, modern restrooms, natural light and food options. 

The existing terminal is 72 years old and no longer meets the needs of modern travelers who reside within the airport’s 15-county service area. The security checkpoint and baggage screening room are also space-constrained and unable to accommodate preferred U.S. Transportation Security Administration equipment. To keep airline service viable in North Platte, HDR has provided a wide range of services to support the project, including airport capital improvement planning, engineering, architecture, project management, grant writing, project advocacy, public relations, sustainability services and construction phase support.

The airport is pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, also known as LEED, for the new terminal, which will feature modern, energy efficient building systems, a mass timber structure, and cross-laminated timber roofing leading to reduced embodied carbon compared to steel construction. Other sustainability features include the capture, storage and reuse of stormwater runoff to satisfy non-potable water demand, photovoltaic skylight glass to provide renewable energy for building systems and a geothermal heating and cooling system to reduce energy demand. In addition, the terminal parking lot will feature multi-modal space for local public transit service, rideshare and future electric vehicle charging stations.

Identifying and securing additional funding to build the new terminal, was critical to moving the project forward. HDR collaborated with the airport to apply for federal funds through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airport Terminals Program. Created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the ATP provided a rare opportunity to secure federal funds from a highly competitive program that allocates only 10% of the funds to non-hub airports like North Platte.

We helped the airport authority modify its design and project delivery strategy and prioritised sustainability, resiliency and transportation equity in the design to reflect current Federal Aviation Administration priorities.

We co-authored the airport authority’s FY2024 Airport Terminals Program application and helped advocate for the project with local, state and federal leaders. 

In total, we helped the airport authority secure $21.8 million in federal funds for the new terminal, which is several times higher than the airport’s annual budget. The terminal broke ground in October 2024 and is expected to open in spring 2026. HDR will continue to provide engineering and architecture support throughout the construction process.