ROMULUS - One year from now, airline passengers at Metro Airport's North Terminal will be checking luggage, getting tickets, enjoying a latte, wandering the concourse and waiting for their plane to take them somewhere else.

The building trades, the joint venture of Barton Malow and Walbridge-Aldinger and their subcontractors are right on track in the process of creating the new $426 million, 850,000 square-foot terminal, which will replace aging Berry and Smith Terminals.

Passengers from Northwest Airlines and three other carriers have been enjoying the new mile-long midfield McNamara Terminal since it opened in 2002. The new 35-gate North Terminal will serve passengers for Air Canada, American, AirTran, British Airways, Frontier, Lufthansa, Royal Jordanian, Southwest, Spirit, United, US Airways, and USA 3000.

"We're doing well, we've had good weather and we're moving along," said Paul Tantalo, project manager for Barton Malow. "The union tradespeople have been excellent, everyone is out here to work and get the job done."

About 450 tradespeople are currently on the job, "doing just about everything," Tantalo said. Siding, roofing, mechanical, windows, and paving are all being performed.

Tantalo said "managing the changes" remains the day to day challenge on the project. As construction has progress, dissimilarities in electrical and mechanical drawings, for example, have required some on-the-fly adjustments to where ducts, pipes and conduit are located.

He said budget constraints have somewhat downsized the terminal, shrinking the floor space and the space allotted for mechanical systems. He said building trades workers and their subs have helped handle the changes - and have worked more than 600,000 man-hours without a lost-time incident. "That's an excellent safety record," he said. "It's a testament to everybody's positive attitude about safety."

According to Wayne County Airport Authority, the new terminal, which was originally going to have 26 gates for aircraft, "will complete the airport's mission of modernizing the entire airport terminal complex and create a world-class facility that provides the type of services all our passengers and visitors deserve."

The North Terminal will have two levels. The upper level will have ticket areas, luggage check-in, security, shops and restaurants. The lower level will be reserved for baggage and security functions.

"With its simple linear design and modern conveniences, the north terminal will represent
a significant upgrade in customer convenience compared to the Smith and Berry Terminals," said airport authority CEO Lester Robinson, when the project began. "It will also provide a considerable improvement in efficiency for the airlines."

Completion of the North Terminal is scheduled for Sept. 18, 2008.

A GROUP OF LABORERS from Cadillac Asphalt pave the apron next to the North Terminal. Planes will park here, and jetways will soon be built into the terminal. There will be 18 inches of asphalt, topped by 20 inches of concrete. Below it all is 20 inches of aggregate.