WINDSOR LOCKS - Today a ceremony was held to initiate the demolition of the old Terminal B building at Bradley International Airport. At the same time, officials unveiled and opened a 63-year-old time capsule that had resided behind the cornerstone.
“Bradley International Airport contributes billions to our economy and sustains nearly 20,000 jobs—it is an important economic driver and key to advancing tourism and commerce in Connecticut,” said Lt. Governor Wyman. “This project is a rededication of our efforts to improve traveler experience and better connect passengers to transportation hubs. I want to thank the Connecticut Airport Authority for their leadership here and at general aviation airports around the state.”
The CAA awarded the Terminal B demolition contract to S&R Corporation in August 2014. The majority of the $15 million project is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.
“The demolition of Terminal B is the first step of an exciting modernization effort at Bradley International Airport,” said CAA Board Chair Mary Ellen Jones. “We are pleased by the over 10% year-over-year passenger increase that we have achieved at Bradley, and the CAA will continue responding to the needs of our increasing passenger base.”
Terminal B, also known as the Murphy Terminal, was named after Francis S. Murphy, former Editor and Publisher of the Hartford Times and former Chair of the Connecticut Aeronautics Commission. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, then-President of Columbia University, attended the groundbreaking on May 23, 1950 after the state legislature provided $2 million in 1949 bonding funds for a new passenger terminal at Bradley. The facility was completed and opened in 1952. Terminal B had been the oldest operating terminal in the United States before it was closed to airline operations in April 2010.
The time capsule had been placed behind the cornerstone at Terminal B in 1951. Its contents included copies of the laws and regulations governing aeronautics in 1951, pictures of the terminal construction, newspaper articles on Bradley, official records from surrounding municipalities, and other Bradley memorabilia. The CAA plans to exhibit the cornerstone, time capsule, and other historical items in an upcoming display in Terminal A at Bradley.
