Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, praised the bipartisan infrastructure law in a press conference Friday at the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) airport for the funding the law would give to improve Terminal 2.
The Airport Terminals Program, through the bipartisan infrastructure law, provided the money to the airport to build two new gates on the northern side of the airport, Rick King, the chair of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), said during the conference.
“We’ll have all new kinds of lighting, geothermal pumps, a green roof and solar panels, so it covers the gamut of great projects,” King said. “New concession opportunities will be available, new loading docks, new restrooms, lots of work for trade peoples.”
Emhoff was joined by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and others at the MAC as Emhoff hopes to support President Joe Biden and Harris’s efforts to win the state during Super Tuesday.
Construction on two additional gates for Terminal 2 will begin in the middle of 2024 and should be finished by 2026, according to MAC spokesperson Jeff Lea. The construction will be walled off to minimize disruptions.
The bipartisan infrastructure law, passed in 2021, provides funding to advance public transportation planning and operations.
Emhoff said the money put toward MSP will improve accessibility for people with disabilities, create jobs and enhance passenger and employee experiences.
“Every day, airports like MSP, they help us get to work, they help us stay connected to our friends, to our families and help you go on vacations,” Emhoff said.
The administration funded $5 billion in airport development around the nation through the bipartisan infrastructure law, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
MSP received $10 million during the 2023 fiscal year to help rehabilitate Terminal 1 and $21.3 million in 2022 fiscal year for improvements to both terminals, such as adding boarding bridges and improving accessibility.
Trottenberg said with the $20 million grant, MSP has received over $400 million worth of federal funding over the past few years.
“Minneapolis-St. Paul, the Biden-Harris administration is invested in your success and that of the businesses, the workers and the traveling public in this region,” Trottenberg said.
Biden’s Investing in America agenda will rebuild the economy through investing in infrastructure, Emhoff said.
“Under their leadership, the Biden-Harris administration is building new bridges, building roads, tunnels, broadband, you name it,” Emhoff said. “We’re making generational investments in everything from our nation’s taxiways to roadway safety projects.”
