Work will begin soon on a parking lot expansion at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
The Western New York Regional Economic Development Council and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority will spend more than $8 million to increase parking at the Long Term B lot by 1,000 spaces.
NFTA spokesman Doug Hartmayer says the additional parking is needed to accommodate current customers and anticipated increases in passenger volume in the future.
"Right now we around 6,800 spaces on site, so we are increasing the parking by about 14.5 percent," Hartmayer said.
Hartmayer says the airport serves more than 5 million passengers a year, many of whom are Canadians travelers who represent nearly half of the airport’s long-term parkers.
"At high peak times, the airport literally has to go out and lease off-airport property so that we have enough volume to park our cars," said Hartmayer
The expansion will be built on NFTA-owned property along Holtz Drive. Plans call for the demolition of several buildings currently on the site to make way for the new lot.
Construction is expected to begin early next summer.