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Explosives Screener Set for Airport: New $36 Million Airport Terminal, Now 90 Percent Done, Will Have Device for Faster Baggage Reviews.

Posted on: Saturday, 18 February 2006, 06:00 CST

By Jerry Lynott, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Times Leader

Feb. 18--PITTSTON TWP. -- Construction costs continue to rise at the new airport terminal as the $36 million project nears completion.

The latest list of change orders totaled $1,271,756, mostly for costs associated with an explosives detection system to screen baggage.

"There's going to be more of them (changes)," acknowledged airport director Barry Centini after the airport board's monthly meeting Thursday. "Even though they're changes we're getting reimbursed for them, or should be anyway."

Ground was broken for the terminal in October 2003. At the time it was estimated to cost $29 million. But the most recent figures released by the airport placed the total project cost at $36,192,236.

The terminal is nearly 90 percent complete and set to be finished by the end of March. Airport officials have yet to announce a date for the transfer of operations from the old terminal.

Adding to the increase is the Computer Tomography X-ray Model 2500. The machine has been used at the Lehigh Valley International Airport near Allentown, according to the federal Transportation Security Administration.

TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser said that as airports upgrade to newer technology equipment, the older units are relocated to other airports. "This is a great example of the TSA working with the airport to utilize existing technology to enhance security."

Federal funds obtained by the region's congressional delegation will pay for the unit, but the airport is responsible for delivery and installation costs. Although those costs are not to exceed $15,000, the actual expense will be closer to $6,000 to $7,000, Centini said.

"This machine is over a million dollars," he said. "There's a lot of airports looking to get these machines. We're very fortunate to get one."

Passengers also will benefit because the unit will speed up the screening process. Their bags will be sent by a conveyor system to the room holding the detection unit. Once inside attendants will manually place the baggage into the unit. Centini described the system as a "hybrid."

"Harrisburg's overall bag screening in-line system is about $11 million," he said. "We have a $1 million system."

When construction of the terminal began the airport proceeded as if it was not going to receive an explosives detection unit, Centini explained. "A couple months ago they told us it was looking pretty good, 90 percent. We started building for it and we got it."

Separate from the terminal, but part of the overall airport expansion, the board agreed to increase the contract for architectural and engineering services for HNTB Pennsylvania Inc. by $207,739.

The firm overseeing the construction of the aircraft parking apron around the old and new terminals requires additional time to see the $12.8 million project through because the contractor shut down the job for the season. Work is expected to resume on April 1 and take four months to complete.

Jerry Lynott, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7237.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Times Leader

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)

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