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McCarran International Airport is proceeding with $3.5 billion in construction plans, despite fewer visitors and reduced airline demand.
Passenger arrivals and departures fell by nearly 12 percent in March compared with the same month last year. There were 9.69 million arrivals and departures during the first quarter, or 14 percent less than in 2008. Yet, McCarran is proceeding with several long-term capacity and efficiency improvements. It's a rich vein of work for contractors, who have seen private development activity diminish amid a deepening recession and credit freeze. Projects are self-financed through gambling revenue and airline fees.
Las Vegas Paving Corp., for example, finished $75 million of runway upgrades last month. The contractor removed an existing 19-year-old asphalt runway and replaced it with more durable concrete. Concrete can better withstand the pounding from airplane takeoff and landings. Las Vegas Paving replaced the 10,525-foot-long, 150-foot-wide Runway 25L/7R as well as Taxiway A and other associated apron and linkage areas.
McCarthy Building Cos., meanwhile, is building a new $121.7 million, 2.3-million-square-foot parking structure near Maryland Parkway and Russell Road. It's also constructing a single-level, 11,275-square-foot office building and a toll plaza as part of the contract. The eight-level, 6,000-space cast-in-place concrete garage will service the airport's new $1.8 billion Terminal 3, which is under construction...