SEATTLE — On Thursday, just days before the U.S. opens its borders to vaccinated international travelers on Nov. 8, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport celebrated the end of major construction in its North Satellite Modernization Project.
The North Satellite building is nearly 50 years old, and the estimated $710 million renovation that began in 2017 includes significant seismic upgrades, 20 gates (8 new, 12 remodeled) and some sustainability features: captured rainwater to flush toilets, around $21 million of recycled construction materials used in the project, and renewable natural gas, a lower-carbon alternative to traditional natural gas often produced from landfill waste.
The north concourse has also leaned into Pacific Northwest aesthetics, with an emphasis on large windows and natural lighting, some regional dining options (Skillet, Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen) and artists known for their work with natural materials, including a life-sized, abstracted sculpture of a Western Red Cedar’s root structure by John Grade.
For months, U.S. travelers have been able to fly overseas from the airport, but on Monday the U.S. will lift the 18-month restrictions that have walled off international travelers from entering the U.S. Foreign nationals flying into the U.S. will need to show proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test (either PCR or viral) taken within the past 72 hours; unvaccinated U.S. travelers returning to the U.S. must show proof of a negative COVID test taken within 24 hours of departure. Foreign visitors crossing the land borders from Canada and Mexico must show proof of vaccination, but no test result is required. The lifting of travel restrictions, a recent lull in pandemic numbers and the completion of the North Concourse come just as the airport gears up for what will likely be a busy holiday travel season. More details are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.