Aug 20 2025
Like it or not, the carpet is now actually going away at Springfield-Branson National Airport.
After two years of seeking community feedback, developing a new floor design, bidding the project and creating construction phasing plans, the $4.5 million flooring replacement project at SGF is underway. Construction began Monday, Aug. 18.
“Developing a plan that would limit passenger interruption as much as possible took time, but now the real work begins,” said Dave Schaumburg, the airport’s assistant director of aviation. “This project is a massive undertaking for the airport but it is truly needed.”
More than 15 million people have walked across the iconic carpet since the SGF terminal opened in 2009. Now, the carpet has met the end of its useful life and no longer meets the needs of the terminal.
Over the course of six, multi-week project phases, approximately 93,000-square-feet of tile and carpet will be replaced with terrazzo. Terrazzo is a decorative hard-surfaced floor treatment that will last for decades and is easy to clean. The downside: it takes time and effort to install.
Starting this week, Phase 1 of the project is underway.
The first phase is scheduled to be seven weeks long, going on now through Oct. 10. Signage is placed throughout the terminal to guide passengers around construction and to their final destination, just like a road detour.
Passenger interruption during Phase 1:
- The main entrance to the airport terminal will be closed, with passengers needing to enter to the right or left of the main entrance.
- The eastern side of the main thoroughfare in the lobby is closed off.
- Delta’s ticket counter will be placed next to United.
- Access to the western entrance of the Route 66 Store will be closed.
- Access to Gate 2, 6 and 8 will be impeded, with additional steps taken to board.
“For all our passengers, we encourage passengers to arrive an additional 15 minutes early, so passengers should arrive 2 hours and 15 minutes prior to their flight,” said Ren Luebbering, marketing and communications coordinator. “Business travelers and frequent SGF fliers who love being able to arrive at SGF 20 minutes prior to boarding to catch a flight, that experience may be different during construction. Adding an extra 15 minutes to your arrival time can help you navigate construction easier.”
Terrazzo takes time but ensures a smoother ride for rolling bags
As travel has changed, so have suitcases. The prevalence of rolling bags made the carpet less functional and more disruptive, with carpet slowing down bags and passengers in the terminal. Anyone who has walked from gate 10 to the exit at SGF has felt the multiple surface changes along the way, which can also be a safety concern.
The hard surface of terrazzo is an added customer amenity, greatly reducing the amount of floor surface transitions customers will have as they traverse from the front curb to their airline gate.
“In conversations online and in the terminal, we have heard from passengers about the extra effort it takes to wheel bags across carpet such long distances,” said Schaumburg. “By ensuring the main walkways in the terminal are all hard surfaces, it enhances the experience for our passengers.”
Currently, more than 85 percent of the terminal is carpeted. Once the flooring renovation project is complete, only 25 percent of the terminal will be carpeted, with carpeting only found near seating areas at the gates and in the corners of the front lobby.
Terrazzo will be poured in all spaces impacted during Phase 1, which will also cause additional noise throughout the terminal. As the phases progress, the noise level may vary, but the end goal remains the same: flooring in the nearly 150,000-square-foot facility that will last 50 years.
Flooring Replacement Project Phases:
- Phase 1, August-October
- Phase 2, October-November
- Phase 3, November-January
- Phase 4, January-March
- Phase 5, March-April
- Phase 6, April-June
All dates subject to change as construction project needs arise.
“This project will impact our passengers throughout the fall, the holidays, the winter and all the way through Spring Break travel,” said Brian Weiler, airport director. “But we know these projects help better meet the needs of our terminal and our passengers.”
Construction Will Be Worth It
Once the six phases are complete, the new floor will reflect the terminal’s current design and elevate the look of the Roy Blunt Terminal.
The new terrazzo’s design is mindful of the terminal’s three architectural themes: water, rock and the natural green spaces of the Ozarks. These themes work together to represent the beauty surrounding the region. The water theme is especially evident in the soon-to-be replaced carpet; parts of it are blue and meander like an Ozarks’ stream. Other sections resemble grass or the gravel of a riverbank, and the new terrazzo will honor these themes and carry them forward.
In 2024, a group of community leaders from tourism, business and aviation took a deep dive into the terminal’s design as part of Terminal Area Visioning Workshops at SGF. Together with Alliiance, a nationally renowned aviation architectural design firm, the group met three times to imagine what the terminal could look like in its next chapter, including its new flooring.
While it will take time to complete, the new floors will be striking, bold and visually appealing. But more than beautiful, terrazzo is just better for the airport long-term, says Weiler.
“Terrazzo is easier to clean, easier to maintain and provides a visual look you’ll love when it’s finished,” he says. “Pack your patience for any trips through SGF during construction.”
The Springfield-Branson National Airport will post updates on all construction projects on its website and LinkedIn page. Customers, community leaders and curious neighbors are encouraged to follow along for updates, and passengers are encouraged to arrive at least two hours and 15 minutes before their flight is scheduled to leave.