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(Image from IAD's website)?President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that there are plans to majorly upgrade the Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).
Trump described the 62-year-old facility as terrible with outdated and inefficient infrastructure, according to Aerotime. The DOT states that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) plans for upgrades are insufficient to create a gateway to the U.S. capital. It uses the airport's mobile lounges as an example, as one of these lounges crashed in November and injured 18 people, according to NBC Washington news. Despite this, the authority allegedly planned to retain the mobile lounges for the next 15 to 20 years for $160 million. DOT Secretary Sean Duffy is inviting proposals and public-private partnership plans through a Request for Information (RFI) to replace or build on the existing main terminal and satellite concourses at IAD.
"Under President Trump's leadership, we're making DC safe and beautiful. Violent crime and homelessness are down, while our green spaces are cleaner and Union Station is looking better than ever," said Secretary Duffy. "But why stop there? Tourists,?world leaders, and?CEOs?from?around the world?should not be forced to travel through an inefficient airport when they visit D.C. IAD needs a complete refresh to assume its proper role as the premier international gateway into the capital of the greatest country in the world. We're engaging the private sector to explore how we can do this cost-effectively and at the speed of Trump."
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The upgrades are part of Executive Order (E.O.) 14344, Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again. The order updates the policies on federal architecture with the goal of creating public buildings to inspire and encourage civic virtue, and encourage architects to design federal buildings that serve the U.S. public.
Once the DOT has received enough proposals, it will?share them with MWAA and work with the authority to implement the improved designs for IAD.