After years of planning, the new terminal at Dallas Love Field is starting to rise from the tarmac.
Construction crews are working 24 hours a day, six days per week on the project.
A forest of concrete columns now stands to the north of the airport's main lobby. It is the foundation of the new concourse, which will have 20 gates.
The first 12 gates are set to open two years from now in April 2013.
As the terminal takes shape, demolition continues on parts of the old building.
A pedestrian bridge linking the terminal to a parking deck is coming down to make way for improvements to the airport's main roadway.
Several large construction cranes now dominate the airfield. Each one is carefully positioned so as not to block the view from the air traffic control tower.
The project is being built in phases to accommodate current airport traffic.
"We'd love to be able to do this much faster, but in order to keep the airport open, we have to do it in various phases," said Diego Rincon, who is managing the project.
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The $519 million modernization program is financed though a partnership between the city of Dallas and Southwest Airlines.
Rincon said the project is on budget and on time.
It is scheduled to be finished in 2014.
