DUBLIN Airport is to invest
?¬14 million to expand its short-term car parking facilities to meet growing customer demand for spaces located close to the terminals.
Work has started on a major upgrade at the airport’s Terminal 2 multi-storey car park, which will more than double the number of available spaces.
The project will add a further 1,400 spaces to the T2 car park, as four new floors will be added to the existing structure, which was designed to allow for future expansion.
The upgrade will bring the overall number of car parking spaces within the T2 multi-storey facility to more than 2,500.
The extra parking spaces are required due to the significant growth in traffic at Dublin Airport over the past three years and strong demand for short-term parking, particularly at Terminal 2.
Passenger numbers at the airport increased by 8 per cent to 21.7 million last year and have risen by 16 per cent in total since 2011.
In the first quarter of this year, passenger traffic at Dublin Airport has increased by 17 per cent.
Dublin Airport managing director Vincent Harrison said:
“This is a major investment in additional customer car parking at Terminal 2.
“We are expecting another year of passenger growth in 2015 and this increase in car park capacity means more customers will be able to park conveniently close to T2.
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Terminal 2’s short-term parking is predominantly used by business travellers between September and April.
The construction work, which is being carried out by Balfour Beatty, will take place during the quieter period for business travel in the summer months.
The 1,400 additional spaces will be handed over on a phased basis during construction. The project is due for completion in December.
The new extension will be made from steel rather than pre-cast concrete, which reduces the weight of the structure and the cost.
The T2 car park will operate as normal during the construction work, but the number of spaces available will be reduced. A traffic management system will be in place for the project’s duratiation of the project.