beachmouse

Like a lot of National Park-adjacent areas, Jackson Hole consists of a pretty small bit of privately owned land surrounded by federal wilderness and parcels big enough for new hotel construction have been scarce for many, many years even as National Park attendance has grown by leaps and bounds. Those areas often have additional limits on construction because of things like water rights/water management .(see Tusayan near the Grand Canyon) Maybe 2-3 years back, I was looking there for a possible NP stay and during July peak season, the Hampton Inn was pricing out at around $400 per night.

So the demand for more hotel space has long been there; it's a slew of other things that make it difficult that have kept it from happening in order to adequately meet demand.

amanuensis

It looks like plans call for the demolition of the old SLC concourses to be finished in August 2021. From the video, it looks like more of a phased dismantling than bringing in the bulldozers.

Mountain Explorer

Not sure what you mean by phased. They will do it in pieces, but the video seems to show that once they start, they will keep going until finished. There are no pauses, and new construction will wait until the demo is complete.

DLASflyer

amanuensis

I'm not sure that the term "phased" necessarily implies that there must be gaps between the phases. What I was trying to convey was that, unlike my previous expectations, they are not going to quickly level the old concourses with quick and dirty methods but instead will be methodical about it.

Anyhow, it is the term the airport is using, also. They (or their contractor) titled their video SLCTRP Demo Phasing and on their website they posted this:
https://slcairport.com/thenewslc/construction-updates/

Mountain Explorer

Fair enough, phases can be anything really. When I read phases, it sounded like they planned to demo some stuff, then build a few gates, then demo some more, then build more gates, etc. That (at least in my head) would be a phased approach.

According to the video, they plan to demo everything. Then, after the demo is finished, they will start building new.

Mountain Explorer

Great photo. And further confirmation of what we mostly assumed, that DL will use both concourses for the time being

N830MH

Yes. They will be at new concourse A East for Delta in 2024. Once the construction is complete. Delta will take whole entire concourse A, but some Delta gates will be at concourse B East.

DLASflyer

Delta has secured 6 gates in Concourse B. They have 25 gates in A for a total of 31 gates starting Tuesday. That will be down significantly from the ~45 they have available today.

ND76

Mrs. ND76 and I overnighted in Jackson, WY on July 18, 2020. We got a hotel through Hotwire, The Lexington at Jackson Hole, just north of the park in downtown Jackson. It was $385 plus tax for the night; the room was fine, but nothing special (the night before, we stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Burley, Idado which went for $94 plus tax, and that room was almost as nice as the one at the Lexington.

Also, unless you can make a restaurant reservation three weeks in advance during peak season, you'll be eating at McDonalds or at the Albertson's supermarket on the outskirts of town (we got rotisserie chickens from there for our dinner).

While Jackson is pretty neat place, I would seriously consider staying at places like Idaho Falls, getting up early, driving 2 hours over to Jackson, walk around the town, and then leave for your next destination.

amanuensis

The original plan was for some demolition, then some gate building, then some more demolition, then more gates ... But that was more expensive and would have taken three years long, to 2027. Now that airlines are not flying as many planes, they are taking their new approach.

Perhaps it is the word "demolition" that made me assume that the old airport gates would be removed quickly. It just doesn't seem like the right word for something that will take almost a year to do. Maybe they should refer to it as "dismantling".

amanuensis

My daughter and I stayed for a couple of nights at the Hampton Inn in Rexburg, Idaho, while she checked out BYU's Idaho campus as a possible place for her to go to for post-secondary education. From that I learned that the hotels in Rexburg (about 28 miles east of Idaho Falls) actively market themselves as alternative stay places for those who are going to the Grand Tetons but don't want to (or can't) stay in Jackson.

MCO Flyer

I’d assume this number doesn’t include the bus gates. I believe there are ~15 remote bus handstands for RJs (they were used after E was demolished but weren’t needed after COVID hit) that will be used for RJs again once C and F close.

Mountain Explorer

I'm guessing the meticulous dismantling is because they want to separate and recycle as many materials as they can. I am, like you, very surprised that it will take a full year!

And unfortunately that means we're stuck with bus gates for quite a while, cause after this Tuesday, it will be almost 2 years before the next new gate comes online. SLC will be a fairly small airport for a while.

canyonleo

While I agree with all your cost and crowd comments, Jackson (for one that wants Jackson) is amazing and shouldn't be missed with a morning arrival drive nor an evening driving away. Grand Teton and Jackson area need some days to fully enjoy (for those that like that kind of thing), not a few hours before and after lunchtime.

Rafting
Kayaking
Moose watching
Hiking
Climbing
Shopping (yuch, but some like it)
Hot springs
Bike riding
Photography

Most of these would not be possible for someone just driving in and out same day.