Construction will continue year-round and is due to be completed in 2027.
The first project of the Dingell Drive Tunnels and Roadway Rehabilitation Program includes improvements to the roadway surface, lighting, ventilation, fire protection, communications and monitoring systems, electrical systems and overhead signage, as well as structural repairs and stormwater collection improvements in the tunnels, in addition to other airport infrastructure.
The second project is in the planning stages and will address the rehabilitation of exterior drainage and waterproofing systems of the south and north tunnels. Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) plans for the second project to start next year.
WCAA awarded the US$85.5m (£67.2m) contract for the first project of the project to Toebe Construction in September last year. The US$1.2tn Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which Congress passed in 2021, will fund most of the project.
Initially constructed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the three tunnels support the airfield runway and taxiway pavement and allow access to the McNamara Terminal. The southern tunnel supports Runway 9R/27L and Taxiways Juliet and Tango. The middle tunnel supports Taxiway Fox. The northern tunnel supports Runway 9L/27R and Taxiway Victor.
