Ground broken on 3-year Provo Airport expansion project
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- Government officals break ground on Provo Airport’s expansion project Monday, April 14, 2025.
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- Government officals break ground on Provo Airport’s expansion project Monday, April 14, 2025.
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- Provo Airport Director Brian Torgersen speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for Provo Airport’s expansion project Monday, April 14, 2025.
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- Utah County commissioners break ground on Provo Airport’s expansion project Monday, April 14, 2025.
Government officials placed shovels in the dirt and ushered in a new era for the Provo Airport during a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning.
Construction will begin on an expanded airport apron this week — the first of many expansion projects in store for the county’s growing transportation hub over the next three years.
The airport plans to complete the new apron by November, giving more space for planes to park. Then, the terminal will expand from four gates to 10 gates, adding three additional gates to the south and north sides of the building by the end of 2028.
“We’re ready to go,” Airport Director Brian Torgersen said. “We have to, as the saying goes, ‘Make hay while the sun shines.'”
Provo Airport’s vision is to be a viable alternative to flying out of Salt Lake City International.
The airport doubled its passenger count the last two years, accommodating 900,000 travelers in 2024, Provo City said. It now services three airlines, including American, which established routes to Dallas and Phoenix last year.
A new apron and six additional gates will provide the infrastructure needed to attract more airlines and carry out more routes, officials believe.
“The Provo Airport is more than a runway; it’s a runway to the future,” Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi said. “This expansion positions PVU not just as a regional airport, but as a vital part of Utah’s growing transportation network, ready to welcome the world, including visitors for the 2034 Winter Olympics.”
Torgersen told the Daily Herald in January the project would cost an estimated $140 million. He credited a number of government agencies Monday for collaborating on the project.
The State of Utah, Utah County, The FAA and Mountainland Association of Government are involved, with over half of the contributions coming from Utah County, which pledged $78 million to the project through its tourism, recreation, cultural and convention tax.
“Different governmental agencies are working together to provide meaningful improvements that make a difference. … It makes a huge difference for the airport and our ability to attract airlines when our fees are low because of that investment from all the different agencies,” Torgersen said.
County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner said Utah County’s offering was an investment in itself.
“The reason this project was the ideal project is because not only is (the airport) the center of travel and tourism, but it will actually pay back,” Powers Gardner said. “A portion of every ticket, a portion of every car rental, a portion of every hotel room will go to pay the bond for this. So not only is this the ideal travel and tourism opportunity, but on top of that, this will actually generate more money in that fund.”
