Philadelphia International Airport Expansion

In 2009, the City of Philadelphia along with US Airways determined that a solution was needed quickly to improve the baggage handling between domestic and international terminals at the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).  The solution was to automate part of the handling process by installing a conveyor system, supported by a bridge between the terminals.

The decision to sole source the bridge to Contech Engineered Solutions was based on the estimated cost for the bridge, previous experience with material handling systems and Contech’s ability to commit to a compressed schedule. The Continental® Gateway®-styled truss bridge design required attachment to two buildings (roof and wall) with special features to accommodate the conveyor system, architectural features, and security equipment – required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Having all these details completed prior to bid, allowed the baggage claim conveyor bridge to go to fabrication immediately after the contractor received their NTP. This reduced the project schedule by eight weeks.