Progress Has Landed at Washington Hub

ou thought it would never end, but nearly $1 billion and three-and-a-half years of construction later, Washingtonians and those who visit the city are finally liberated from the ever-changing traffic patterns, crummy temporary waiting areas and general disarray that spelled Washington National Airport.

This matters to federal employees. An estimated 20 percent of all official government travel passes through National.

The airport, which debuted July 27, needed more than a facelift. It hadn't been overhauled since it was built 56 years ago (think about the state of the art in air travel in 1941). The new 1 million-square-foot terminal has three levels; the old terminal, which is connected via walkway, will have nine operating gates and a historical display about the airport site.

The new airport has many features that should reduce government travelers' stress, including:

• No more hiking from the subway. Climate-controlled bridges with moving sidewalks cover the (now shorter) distance from Metro to the terminal. (Part of the Metro platform is enclosed, so there's always a rain-free route.) Moving sidewalks also run from the parking garages.
• Sixty phone booths with modem jacks and work surfaces in the gate areas.
• Business centers with faxes, computers, currency exchange and other services on the main concourse.
• Locally oriented shops (a National Zoo shop, a Smithsonian shop, and a National Geographic shop, for example) for last-minute gifts.
• Passenger drop-off and pickup lanes on separate levels, helping shuttle buses run more smoothly and easing congestion.
• Kiosks that provide free access to the Internet, e-mail and fax. Travelers can use them to check flight schedules, hotel reservations or exchange rates, or to get city maps and other useful information. (After a trial period, the kiosk company, QuickATM, plans to charge $2.50 for 10 minutes of use.)

The new terminal evokes Washington. A 54-foot-tall glass wall provides a panoramic view of the monuments, the Capitol and the Potomac River. The domed design echoes the Jefferson Memorial and the Capitol. Thirty commissioned artworks are integrated into the architecture.

The Society of Travel Agents in Government gave Airport Manager Augustus Melton Jr. its National Leadership Award at its September conference "in recognition of all the people,construction and operating people,who have helped make Washington's new National Airport," says STAG General Manager Duncan Farrell.

The group recognized Melton for the "tremendous esprit de corps" he created at the facility,not just for putting together a full-service airport with food, shopping and easy access to local transportation, but its overall "service-oriented approach," says Farrell.

Caroline Polk contributed to this report.