Improvements are coming to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport’s main passenger exit area.
On Tuesday, the Kenton County Airport Board entered into an agreement with Cincinnati-based contractor Graybach LLC to construct a new security exit lane, employee processing area, and to revamp the meet and greet area in CVG’s main terminal.
The airport’s current passenger exit lane at the campus’ main terminal is a free-flowing exit where security is maintained around the clock by a contracted security guard.
Located adjacent to the exit lane is the terminal’s meet and greet area, which was designed for offboarding passengers to meet their friends and family after exiting the secured area.
Airport officials concluded the technology at CVG’s current exit lane is outdated. This can create false alarms and cause interruptions for exiting passengers.
Modern exit lane technology, which the airport already purchased for the project, uses cameras and movement sensors to detect improper foot traffic flow and security breaches. Over the years, pricing of the security technology has become more cost-effective, said CVG CEO Candace McGraw.
The airport is also updating the electric, lighting, flooring, ceiling and HVAC in the area around the exit lane. The refreshed meet-and-greet area will accommodate the footprint of the new exit lane.
“It provides for greater security and a much better price in the long run,” McGraw said during the meeting.
In addition, CVG officials said they hope constructing a new employee processing area will help make federally required security screenings for airport employees more efficient.
“Right now, there’s regulations in place where we would have to do 100% employee screening for anybody getting behind security,” McGraw said. “There will be construction of an area where that security screening can take place for employees as well.”
The Airport Board selected Graybach over Turner Construction, the two firms that submitted bids. Graybach’s winning bid was worth approximately $2.25 million. Design firm Gresham Smith was awarded the contract to design the exit lane construction project.
Regarding a timeline, construction is expected to begin in August, with completion anticipated for January 2024. McGraw said CVG is looking for the project to coincide with the redesign of the terminal’s tunnel, which is expected to start this month and be completed in October.
