Yay!!!! ^^

Curious what this means:
The overall construction project at National Airport will also include a new parking garage and a study for long-term improvements at the airport’s original Terminal A.


Finally rehabilitating the historic terminal and conducting flight operations out of there? That would be so cool.

I wonder where commuter world is going to be moved to during construction.

Technically, the construction won't directly affect anything at the existing north pier, including gate 35X. It seems like the planes could be parked on the tarmac area past the new pier, even further away from 35X. In particular, the "pushback area" at the left edge of this image looks like it could accommodate any planes displaced by construction:
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/r...wNorth_299.jpg

It may not affect parking at the north pier, but it's certainly going to affect operations in "commuter world". There is ramp space for at least 14 aircraft over in the "world" and at times, I've seen up to a dozen of those remote stands used. Looking at the proposed map, I simply do not see where 14 aircraft are going to be remotely parked. I see room for -maybe- 6.

Unless they are able to make the construction footprint so small so as to not impede parking area.

Any updates?

18 December presentation to MWAA board has a few renderings (pages 7-12). They're beginning the process of bidding out construction.
http://www.mwaa.com/sites/default/fi...12-18-2015.pdf

Construction timeline:
– Secure National Hall – March 2017 to June 2020
– New Concourse – December 2017 to December 2021

Is the idea here that security checkpoints would be placed on the upper level so that once one passed through security, and down to the departure level, one could go to each concourse without separate security screening?

The security checkpoints will be on the gate level, spanning over the arrivals curb of the terminal roadway. As you say, this new configuration will allow airside passage between the piers of Terminals B and C.

Sort of; see posts 12-13 above. New security lines will be built next to the bridges that connect the terminal to the parking deck & Metro station.

The level with gates, concourses, and National Hall will be entirely within the security perimeter, and the top/ticketing level will be entirely outside security.

It'll be nice to have those additional restaurants (Bens, Legal Seafoods, etc.) beyond security. I would mention Sam & Harry's but my last two experiences there have been less than stellar.

Of course, erasing from near-term memory the phrase "35X" will be the true benefit.

Could you describe what happened at Sam & Harry's? I've had a string of
good meals there followed by one poor one (rare steak came medium plus,
and the manager told me that was what rare was, but he eventually deigned
to have it remade to my specs) - was planning on a couple visits next month.

35X - it's somewhat nasty, but one can escape to a bar, the club, or
Five Guys; the true hatred is more properly focused on the aircraft ... .

Do you think there will be additional slots (some beyond-perimeter) available after the new terminal is built?

No.

The changes planned won't create any additional capacity, they will just allow pax to walk to gates rather than taking the buses out of 35x.

The perimeter restrictions could all be eliminated tomorrow but won't because MWAA has to force people out to IAD. Sadly the current FAA re-authorization does not contain any new beyond-perimeter exemptions.

"More than 5,000 passengers a day go through Gate 35X." does not seem correct. that is 1.8 mil passengers a year through 35X and dca only has 22M total.

"Reagan National is expected to have record passenger traffic this year, exceeding 22 million."
my wife has to use 35 X to fly DCA-hartford. the stairs are not well cleared of ice in winter. she slipped and fell once.

The Washington Business Journal has a slideshow of National Airport improvements with a few details I don't recall seeing earlier, like the taxi stand at the north end of the main terminal going away.