First Aircraft Returns to PIT Taxiway After Five-Year Closure Supporting Construction

For the first time in five years, an aircraft taxied along Taxiway Bravo at Pittsburgh International Airport, marking another milestone in the airport’s transformation.

Taxiway Bravo had been closed since 2021, when it was repurposed as the primary construction entrance for the airport’s Terminal Modernization Program (TMP). Over the course of the $1.7 billion project, thousands of construction vehicles, pieces of equipment, and workers used the taxiway to safely access the work site while keeping airfield operations and the traveling public separated from construction activity.

With the new terminal now open and major construction complete, Taxiway Bravo is being returned to its intended role within the airport’s airfield, restoring an important aircraft movement route and improving operational efficiency.

“Taxiway Bravo played a critical role in building the new terminal,” said Jim Moorhead, Vice President, Airport Operations at Allegheny County Airport Authority. “It saved time and money. Now it’s returning to the role it was designed for — moving aircraft.”

Repurposing Taxiway Bravo, along with portions of Taxiway Charlie, was a savvy , cost-effective solution to support building a massive new terminal in the middle of an active airport. Without disrupting the very operation being improved, the conversion maintained a secure entry point, provided tight control over who and what entered the worksite, and avoided disruption to travelers or risk to ongoing flight operations.

“Converting an active taxiway into the primary construction access point for one of the largest airport infrastructure projects in the country required years of planning, coordination and engineering,” said Jeff Bezek, Director, Engineering at Allegheny County Airport Authority. “Every decision balanced the needs of a major construction project with the safety and efficiency of an operating airfield.”

“Seeing Taxiway Bravo restored to its original purpose is a significant milestone that reflects the success of this major construction project,” Bezek said.

For five years, these taxiways were closed to aircraft traffic, requiring aircraft to use alternate taxi routes to access Pittsburgh International Airport’s northernmost runway, Runway 10L-28R.

‘Another important milestone’

This is only the beginning of returning both taxiways to full operational use.

The process started in May 2026 with the installation of a new Air Operations Area (AOA) fence to secure the airfield and prevent unauthorized access to areas where aircraft operate. The Authority’s Field Maintenance Department also played a major role in preparing the taxiways for their return to service by removing large piles of aggregate, soil and other items left behind by the construction crews.

Throughout the summer and into the fall, contractors will remove and replace damaged concrete, install new Light-Emitting Diode (LED) airfield lighting and restore pavement markings.

The project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter, prior to the one-year anniversary of the new terminal’s opening.

“Seeing an aircraft taxi on pavement that was just used for construction a few months ago marks another important milestone in completing the Terminal Modernization Program and a return to normal airport operations,” Bezek said.