MADISON, Wis. — The Dane County Regional Airport is putting its final touches on an $85 million expansion that introduced three new gates in the South Terminal.
During a press conference held at the airport on Monday, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said this expansion should help meet economic demands in Dane County.
“This paves the way for larger planes, more flights and more passengers at the Dane County Regional airport,” said Parisi.
Parisi said over the years, the population in Dane County has been growing and he hopes that this expansion will help to meet the airports increasing demand. Parisi said the airport has seen "near-record numbers of passengers taking advantage of non-stop service to over a dozen cities and easy one-stop access to destinations around the world."
The South Terminal upgrades include increased gate seating, the expansion and renovation of restrooms, as well as a gaming area for kids.
Michael Riechers, the director of marketing and communications for the Dane County Regional Airport, said one of his favorite additions to the terminal is the indoor service dog area.
“So here, we have our elevated turf and again all of this curving contains a sealed epoxy floor with floor drains all throughout, after your dog does its business, you can come through and hose it down,” said Riechers.
It also has the ability to wash itself every 15 minutes if it doesn't detect movement.
The upgrade also features a nursing suite for mothers and a changing station for adults with disabilities.
The first flight will takeoff from the South Terminal on Tuesday, but there is still one final phase to the expansion, involving the demolition of the former south end of the airport.