News and Resources for Airport Employees
What's New with PDX Next (Week of February 17)

Something to Smile About in February

Hike up to the lookout point at Council Crest Park or Powell Butte, and you’ll spot a map pointing out all the mountain peaks on display. Starting today, when you stand up on the mezzanine in PDX’s main terminal, looking out at the Doug fir ceiling and the wood floors, you’ll see a similar visual guide: a map displaying the 16 nonprofit, community, tribal-owned, and family-run forests that supplied wood for the ceiling lattice, concession stands, and flooring. Down on the ground level, you’ll now find 14 round wooden trail markers around the terminal, each one showing you which forest a specific patch of wood comes from.

PDX’s four tribal partners – the Yakama Nation, the Coquille Indian Tribe, the Skokomish Indian Tribe, and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians – shared imagery and phrases that were meaningful to each tribe and Portland artist Carson Ellis used them to illustrate both the map and all the markers.

For instance, the Doug fir beams in the oval skylights above the security checkpoints came from the Coquille Indian Tribe in southwest Oregon. For their markers, the tribe chose an iconic design that Coquille people have woven into baskets and caps for untold generations. They added the word for “fir” in Miluk and Nuu-wee-ya’, sleeping languages that the Coquille are reviving for future generations

Now that they’re in place, we hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate the beauty of both the map and the markers, and to learn more about the stories each of these forests has to tell.

Construction Impacts to Expect: February 17 - 23

To help you plan for what’s ahead, we’re updating this section weekly. If you'd like to receive these updates right in your inbox, subscribe to the PDX People newsletter.

Concourse B Detour: Reminder – we’ve officially moved into the building stage of Phase 2 – bye-bye demolition, hello progress! That means evening travelers arriving at Concourse B gates will have a temporary detour now through Friday, March 14, weeknights from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Read more about the impacts. Once this work is complete, crews will move back to Concourse E and the detour will resume on that side of the airport. Thank you to everyone working to help passengers navigate the changes and to everyone working through the changes as we bring the rest of PDX to life!

Recent weather events have resulted in some schedule adjustments, including adding Saturday workdays on Feb. 22, March 1 and March 15. The hard-working crews are dedicated to completing this work as quickly, efficiently and safely as possible. On nights when they can’t swing the crane, they tackle work to facilitate the next steps in the process. We’ll keep you posted on additional impacts and schedule updates.

B/C Bypass Stairs: The exit staircase located in the middle of the south pedestrian bypass will be temporarily removed starting today, Monday, Feb. 17. It will be back and operational on Tuesday, April 1.

Want the Inside Scoop on Construction at PDX? 

Jen Reynolds with the Port of Portland along with Pat Bifone and Bri Leiblie of Hoffman-Skanska will share the latest construction updates and answer your questions about PDX Next in just 30 minutes. They'll even give you an early look at architectural renderings and behind-the-scenes photos and videos! The next forum is on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 10:30 a.m.

If you'd like to join this meeting, email PDX People Communications before Monday, Feb. 24 for the meeting link.

Got PDX Next Questions? We've Got Answers

See something you’re curious about or have a suggestion that’s related to PDX Next construction? If you have a comment, question or non-urgent concern, send a note to hello@pdxnext.com.

For immediate safety concerns, call the PDX Communication Center’s non-emergency number at 503.460.4747. For life-threatening issues or medical, fire or police emergencies, call the emergency line at 503.460.4000.