Airport News
Heathrow Airport has held a ‘topping out’ ceremony for the Terminal 2 satellite pier, T2B, to mark the final stage of phase one of the £2.5 billion project.
The event signaled the completion of construction of the 522m satellite pier that will have 16 boarding gates and will be connected to the main Terminal 2 by a walkway beneath the airfield once finished.
Construction work began on T2B in October 2010. A 575,000m³ excavation has been dug to depths of 15m below existing ground, while at the same time building above ground. All of the earth excavated from the site has been recycled, and thousands of tonnes of clay have been taken off airport to build into a new landscaped hill by the M25.
Steve Morgan, director of capital, said, “We have reached a significant point in the construction of the satellite pier of Terminal 2. When completed, Terminal 2 will deliver bright, modern and practical facilities to our passengers and airlines – all part of our vision to make every journey better.”


In addition to the satellite pier there are three other key elements to Terminal 2 ,which will welcome 20 million passengers a year:
- The new main terminal, which topped out in February 2012
- A new multi-story car park, and
- The re-development of the road system connecting T2.
Terminal 2 is due to open to passengers in 2014 and is part of the five-year, £4.8 billion transformation of Heathrow that began after the opening of the £4.3 billion Terminal 5 in 2008.
To minimise disruption to passengers, construction of Terminal 2 is taking place in two phases. The first phase – due to complete in 2014 – includes the creation of the main terminal on the site of the old Terminal 2 and Queen's Building and T2B.
