Savannah Hilton Head International Airport asking for help to finish drainage project, construction continues on new checkpoint

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Savannah Hilton Head International Airport has spent $10.2 million on a drainage project but they say its not enough

In fact they want to ask the FAA for help. They say it’s a part of their Master Plan.

The airport is asking for $1.6 million from the FAA to help cover remaining costs associated with the project but they need permission to use it which is what they’re hoping to get Thursday night.

The Savannah City Council will vote on whether to ratify the acceptance of that grant money at their meeting.

The Southwest Quadrant Drainage project has been going on since June of 2021. The project is happening right by the old terminal.

According to Lori Lynah with the airport, the old terminal has been torn down and that’s making room for new Gulfstream buildings, as well as FBO Signature Aviation.

But officials have to make sure that the correct measures are in place before they can be built, and before they can ask the FAA for financial help.

“By laying groundwork, so to speak, we’re ready to place applications for further grants, and we know that it’s been blessed by the FAA, those plans have bene approved in our master plan. It’s just proper growth,” said Lynah.

And, this isn’t the only major piece of the airport’s Master Plan to make headway, a project is underway to get you through security faster.

But like the security lines, it too has been a slow process.

Scaffolding is going up and construction is going in full force, getting the skeleton of the addition to the terminal on.

This is a development from within the last few weeks.

Airport officials say that the project had a little bit of a delayed start but that things are back on track now.

You’ll head down the hall that you normally would for airport security, hang a right, and head into a much larger, brand new checkpoint.

The idea of this is to make things go faster with heavier foot traffic in the airport.

“It’s based on how many passengers we have, how many we’ve had over the last ten years, and what we can expect going forward. So we’ve laid the groundwork, we’ve gotten everything approved, and this should fall right into line as our traffic gets even busier,” said Lynah.

This checkpoint is expected to be completed in the first portion of 2024.

This comes as as the airport has seen record traffic several months this year- most recently June.

We expect to get those July numbers within the next few days.