Charlotte-Douglas Airport (CLT) Expansion

[jednc]

So when are they going to wake up and improve the signs on Wilkinson Blvd. coming from 485. There is a huge Airport exit sign on 485 for Wilkinson, then nothing except one of the cute little airplane directional signs at Little Rock. And while they're at it, they can call out NCDOT for the pathetic airport signage on 77.

I sure wouldn't want to be a visitor in this city with a rental car, trying to find the airport!

GPS...

[uptownliving]

So when are they going to wake up and improve the signs on Wilkinson Blvd. coming from 485. There is a huge Airport exit sign on 485 for Wilkinson, then nothing except one of the cute little airplane directional signs at Little Rock. And while they're at it, they can call out NCDOT for the pathetic airport signage on 77.

I sure wouldn't want to be a visitor in this city with a rental car, trying to find the airport!

I agree the NCDOT signage to the airport is complete crap. I think part of the reason they dont have nice big signs is that there has been a plan on the books for over 20 years now to build a direct connector road from the Airport to I-85 that would connect at the Little Rock Rd exit. It has been on the TIP for decades. Since there is a general lack of funding for projects at the DOT I can see where they don't want to spend scarce resources for nice big signs that ultimately would be "temporary"

Edited May 4, 2009 by uptownliving

[tacoman]

I agree the NCDOT signage to the airport is complete crap. I think part of the reason they dont have nice big signs is that there has been a plan on the books for over 20 years now to build a direct connector road from the Airport to I-85 that would connect at the Little Rock Rd exit. It has been on the TIP for decades. Since there is a general lack of funding for projects at the DOT I can see where they don't want to spend scarce resources for nice big signs that ultimately would be "temporary"

Visiting Charlotte via CLT in 2007 for the first time before moving here a few months later, the completely awful signage leaving and arriving at the airport was the first thing I noticed. If there's a sign at all, it's usually obscurred by a tree, or painted on a lean-two placard "Parking." For a newcomer, it was virtually impossible to navigate to and from the airport without getting turned around. I even wrote a letter about the awful signage and got a "we're working on it" generic reply.

Now that I've lived here two years, I'm still getting lost going to airport from Huntersville. I elected to take the newly constructed 485 section to the airport. While there is a large sign on 485, there's nothing but one little diagram sign hidden behind a tree once you get off the interstate.

I tell people over and over when they ask about Charlotte: love the city, hate the airport.

[JayGee]

I agree the NCDOT signage to the airport is complete crap. I think part of the reason they dont have nice big signs is that there has been a plan on the books for over 20 years now to build a direct connector road from the Airport to I-85 that would connect at the Little Rock Rd exit. It has been on the TIP for decades. Since there is a general lack of funding for projects at the DOT I can see where they don't want to spend scarce resources for nice big signs that ultimately would be "temporary"

That's true, but what's the city's excuse for not placing signage on Wilkinson Blvd. after you get off of 485? I guess when you travel to other cities, which I have done a lot of, you are more sensitive to this kind of stuff. I can't think of one city I've been to with signage as poor as CLT, including Boston Logan. Putting a little airplane picture on 77 tilting in the direction you are supposed to go is just plain stupid. Even if they think it does clearly indicate where to get off for the airport, if they'd get out of their cubes once in a while they would realize that some cities have *shock* more than one airport. And the little airplane doesn't tell you what airport its pointing to which is nice to know if you're a visitor.

And on the subject of spending money to change signs, how many times did they change Outerbelt signs to north/south, inner/outer, etc. They couldn't make up their mind what to do!

Sorry, this stuff makes me crazy sometimes.

GPS...

Well yeah, I use my Garmin religiously, even when I travel/rent. But it doesn't justify incompetence!

[uptownliving]

That's true, but what's the city's excuse for not placing signage on Wilkinson Blvd. after you get off of 485?

Sorry, this stuff makes me crazy sometimes.

The city's excuse is that Wilkinson Blvd is maintained by NCDOT...not the City. Billy Graham Parkway is also a NCDOT road. The "city" road doesn't start til you cross the property line onto Airport property.

To get better signs up on these roads the e-mails/phone calls/mail need to be directed to NCDOT and State Senator Charlie Dannelly and State Rep Kelly Alexander.

[kickazzz2000]

The city's excuse is that Wilkinson Blvd is maintained by NCDOT...not the City. Billy Graham Parkway is also a NCDOT road. The "city" road doesn't start til you cross the property line onto Airport property.

To get better signs up on these roads the e-mails/phone calls/mail need to be directed to NCDOT and State Senator Charlie Dannelly and State Rep Kelly Alexander.

The state is too busy building a beltway for Lizard Lick, Murphreesboro, White Lake, and Rutherfordton (scratch that last one, thats too far west).

[Skyybutter]

I seldom post here but couldnt resist. The NCDOT is the biggest joke in the country imo. NC is virtually two states. East Carolina and West Carolina. Once you get west of GSO forget about it. Raleigh could care less about anything going on around here. To be such a busy airport and certainly the most importat airport between ATL and DCA, one would think CLT has been forgotten about. The sooner the city of Charlotte realizes this the better. Do it yourself or it wont get done!

[New Name]

I like the sound of that....West Carolina.

[JayGee]

I seldom post here but couldnt resist. The NCDOT is the biggest joke in the country imo. NC is virtually two states. East Carolina and West Carolina. Once you get west of GSO forget about it. Raleigh could care less about anything going on around here. To be such a busy airport and certainly the most importat airport between ATL and DCA, one would think CLT has been forgotten about. The sooner the city of Charlotte realizes this the better. Do it yourself or it wont get done!

Oh, they realize it, that was one of Mayor Pat's main themes. Bev may be better, it remains to be seen. At least she has an office here.

[RiverwoodCLT]

I believe it when I see it. I grew up in SE NC near Wilmington and their road system is getting better but they still have road jams. To me it is the Bigger cities all over NC that get less road money, east or west.

Charlotte Douglas IA needs a road to connect it to I85, but I don't see any money for this anytime soon. If it every gets built, I think the airport & city will do it.

Edited May 7, 2009 by RiverwoodCLT

[Spartan]

Not to be picky, but 'road jams' isn't necessarily a sign of a crappy NCDOT. Any city with a good economy is going to have traffic backups. Its inevitable.

Charlotte-Douglas DOES have a road that connects to 85... Little Rock Rd. It's just not a "pretty" or signed entrance like the one on BGP. If you're going to the airport and need long term parking, I'd recommend using that over the BGP entrance. It's much easier. Also, there actually is a project identified to realign Little Rock Road to the east of the long term parking lots and connect to Josh Birmingham Pkwy to create a better entrance connecting to 85.

[CltFlyer]

When is the next extention of Concourse E due for completion it is a darker colored cement atm and you have to taxi around if your at gates on the other side. btw regional jet bridges have been added to most of the gates on the latest extension.

[uptownliving]

When is the next extention of Concourse E due for completion

Concourse E expansion will be completed 2012 at the earliest....most likely later than that. They went ahead and expanded the ramp area now since they got a good price from the contractor.

[HopHead]

How much more of an expansion are they going to do? Aren't there already 32 gates in this concourse?

[Boricua]

I got home this afternoon and looked up and saw a big four engine bratwurst coming in for a landing at CLT. Lufthansa is flying its Airbus A 340 again for the summer season.

[ScottCLT]

How much more of an expansion are they going to do? Aren't there already 32 gates in this concourse?

Yeah, it's already quite a hike from check in to the end of the E gates. I couldn't imagine them going much further.

[hokiehigh]

I was reading the Today in the Sky Blog in USA Today and Charlotte got a mention as a possible expansion for Southwest. This didn't come from Southwest, but from the journalist/blogger. The blog mentioned Charlotte, Atlanta and Cincinnati as possible expansion locations.

[HopHead]

I was reading the Today in the Sky Blog in USA Today and Charlotte got a mention as a possible expansion for Southwest. This didn't come from Southwest, but from the journalist/blogger. The blog mentioned Charlotte, Atlanta and Cincinnati as possible expansion locations.

I read that blog... Sounds like some speculation more than anything since Southwest doesn't seem to follow a pattern with their expansions. My guess their next target would be Atlanta. But one could argue with two hubs there (Airtran & Delta) they might be stretching themselves. I'd like to see SW in Charlotte to fly routes not serviced by JetBlue or AirTran (eg West coast like Vegas) to provide some competition for USAirways.

[hokiehigh]

I would love it. I am about to move back and I want to keep adding onto my rewards. The recent move to Milwaukee makes sense b/c they can pull from Chicago's North Shore. I wonder if Charlotte can support SW b/c Raleigh already has service.

[Andyc545]

Any low cost carriers would be a plus for CLT. The competition with USAirways would benefit the average passenger and make flying out of CLT cheaper. I can't help but wonder the same in regards to Raleigh, as SW is a major player there. Where would SW expand to at CLT? Isn't the only concourse that isn't ruled by USAirways Concourse A, which seems to be filled, or would this be on a physical expansion of the concourse?

[aceboogie]

What is the land area of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport? I know Denver has the largest airport at 3600 acres, just wondering. I@never realized how major this airport was until recently.

[CltFlyer]

December 2nd marks a milestone in CLT history as flights to Brazil are scheduled to begin.

http://www.usairways.com/awa/Content/trave...?c=hp_txt_00653

[Miesian Corners]

Any low cost carriers would be a plus for CLT. The competition with USAirways would benefit the average passenger and make flying out of CLT cheaper. I can't help but wonder the same in regards to Raleigh, as SW is a major player there. Where would SW expand to at CLT? Isn't the only concourse that isn't ruled by USAirways Concourse A, which seems to be filled, or would this be on a physical expansion of the concourse?

The City has gates available on A and D. And AirTran and jetBlue are "low cost carriers" and they're already here.

[HopHead]

As CLTFlyer mentioned, daily non-stop Charlotte to Rio de Janeiro flights start on December 2nd. They've already started selling tickets. Right now they list for $678 round trip. I know we all try to predict more destinations, but I suspect this isn't the last new non-stop International destination that we'll get this year. At some point, the airport will have to get serious about that new International terminal...

[HopHead]

The CLT airport will soon be getting a $300 million makeover. It's expected to occur over the next 5 years. Changes in include expanded terminal (thank god), underground pedestrian tunnel, automated system for luggage and the two new parking decks that currently reside where the hourly decks are now. Hopefully the replacement of our old monitors for arrival/departure info will happen too... $95 million from a Transportation Agency grant will pay for the inline baggage screening system. The remaining cost will be paid through a $3 passenger surcharge. No word on the International Terminal yet...

$300 makeover for CLT airport