Renovated terminal opens at Anchorage International Airport

ANCHORAGE - After more than a decade of work, the multimillion dollar renovation of Anchorage's international airport is complete.

The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport unveiled concourses A and B on Sunday after a $200 million overhaul.

Airport officials say the final two-year project will open up more food and shopping options and reduce crowding by moving the security checkpoint away from the top of the escalators at the main lobby.

The 350,000-square-foot makeover follows a renovation costing more than $300 million at Concourse C.

"We've got some little pieces and parts around that will probably be worked on until next spring, but this is the last big part in our construction," said airport manager John Parrott. "After this, we should be just setting and running for a while."

Passengers will start filtering through a new, six-lane security checkpoint.

The existing security site eventually will be dismantled.

Concourses B and C are now connected for foot traffic behind security, so passengers waiting for flights can go between them to shop and eat without having to submit to another round of screening.

The makeover - which is an older part of the airport and included new artwork - is important for strengthening the way the city greets visitors, said Bill Popp, president and chief executive of Anchorage Economic Development Corp.

"That's always going to be a positive because passenger numbers are very, very important to us, and airports are a first impression," he said.