New Eppley passenger pick-up, drop-off lanes in place as construction continues

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - You’ll notice a lot of new signage on your way to Eppley Airfield’s terminal.

Orange signs will direct you to the South Garage, where passenger drop-offs and pick-ups have moved to as construction continues as part of BuildOMA’s terminal improvement project.

Traffic entering the area for that purpose will be directed to specific lanes on Level 1 of the South Garage: departures, arrivals, ride-app vehicles, and commercial vehicles such as shuttles, taxis, and buses.

Get a closer look

Eppley officials provided this map to help airport visitors find their way around during the temporary passenger pick-up/drop-off changes. Zoom in on this map to see where to go.

“We completed the terminal entrance drive, we rebuilt that all the way up to the terminal,” said Steve McCoy with the Omaha Airport Authority. “We’ll continue that right up to the curb front. We’re going to widen the curbfront, add additional lanes, so we can have additional vehicle capacity and continue to grow here at Eppley Airfield.”

“Also a part of that project is to build an all-new glass canopy covering the entire front drive to keep vehicles and travelers out of the elements.”

It’s expected to take 18 months to complete the terminal and canopy work. Lucy Ham moved away from Omaha after graduating from Burke High School. She’s noticed the growth at Eppley over the years during her home visits.

“They have a whole new wing that (they) didn’t have when I left high school and left here,” she said. “Omaha’s a great little airport. It’s small, it’s about two minutes from the planes to the bags. It’s really easy and nice.”

But the “great little airport” is growing. Officials say the growth is necessary because more and more travelers are passing through the airport.

“Those passenger numbers increased back to where they were from pre-pandemic activity, which is about five million annual passengers,” McCoy said. “In fact, just last month in September, we had our busiest September in Eppley Airfield history.”

McCoy said passenger drop-off and pick-up have relocated to Level 1 of the South Garage. For passengers, the change involves a few extra steps to get inside the terminal, and for pick-ups, getting new directions to the parking garage.

“Give yourself extra time,” McCoy said. “We recommend anywhere from an hour to two hours before your departure. Make sure you slow down, follow the signs, they’ll point you to the right location.”

Officials still ask drivers to move quickly and not loiter in the pick-up and drop-off zones. The construction project will have no impact on parking or rental car services at Eppley.

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