July 14, 2022

It will cost more than budgeted, but the Sioux Falls Regional Airport will begin construction the fall on a new four-story parking ramp and a skywalk that will attach it to the terminal.

The Sioux Falls Airport Authority approved the $62.6 million project at its last meeting.

“We did a lot of analysis on funding it and the ability to fund it,” executive director Dan Letellier said. “Initially, we’d hoped to do it without borrowing money, but at this point, we’ll probably borrow a short-term loan to cover some of the cost.”

The four-story post-tension concrete ramp will add nearly 1,000 parking spaces to the airport, plus be designed so it can expand on either end.

It’s the size needed to accommodate demand for an estimated 10 to 12 years, Letellier said.

“The parking garage itself was very well vetted,” he said.

The skyway was suggested during the design process and created a lot of excitement for multiple reasons, he continued.

“Safety, trying to keep people off the street as much as you can to minimize that through traffic, parking traffic, and … customer convenience. So you can fly out of Sioux Falls literally in your flip-flops and shorts and not worry about trudging through a drift to get to your car.”

While the cost was more than originally hoped and the skywalk was an optional add-on, “the board felt we’re taking this big leap, and we’re not going to have buyer’s remorse the day we open it up and wish we had done it,” Letellier said. “You’d probably pay as much or more down the road to put it back in, so ultimately they decided to move forward with both.”

Henry Carlson Construction is the contractor on the project. Some pre-construction work will take place this fall, with the ramp beginning in the spring and a scheduled completion in October 2024. The front entrance will close for at least 10 months starting next summer, and the main restrooms won’t be available because of structural reinforcement that needs to take place.