For information about the airport expansion, go here.
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Michael Dunne: I’m Michael Dunne. If Interstate 5 is the main artery for much of Lane County and the Willamette Valley, then the Eugene Airport is right behind. And just like the freeway during rush hour or bad weather, the airport can suffer from a lack of capacity during major travel days. As a result, the airport is looking to expand to better accommodate locals and visitors.
Today on the show, we talk with the airport director about plans to expand EUG. The plans are ambitious and the price tag is sky-high. Then, in the second part of the show, we check in with our own Love Cross to get an update on her journey to become more emergency prepared in the series Oregon Ready.
Cathryn Stephens, director of the Eugene Airport. Cathryn, always great to see you. Thanks for coming in.
Cathryn Stephens: Very nice to see you. Thanks for having me.
Dunne: Let’s start here. How are things going currently at EUG? And how was the holiday travel season?
Stephens: Things are always hopping, especially in the terminal building. We were up a little in passengers this year over the holiday season, close to 7%. Anyone who flew during those peak periods probably noticed our parking lots were very full. We even bring in what we jokingly call a “parking guru” who helps people fit into spaces like a game of Tetris. We made it through, but we’re realizing we need to expand parking sooner rather than later.
Dunne: Remind folks about the expansion plans. It’s sort of two tiers, immediate and future. Give us, to use aviation parlance, the 30,000-foot view.
Stephens: We always have projects going. Many of the ones happening now are enabling projects leading up to the major Concourse C expansion. We’ve done the studies showing demand and aviation forecasts, but funding is still a bit up in the air, so we’re planning carefully.
Passengers will notice several changes over the next 18 months. The upstairs restaurant concession is under construction, and in early March we begin work on concourse expansion. The biggest component is adding square footage so people can spread out. The gate area has been very constrained and crowded at times.
We’ll also replace a couple of very old jet bridges. They were hand-me-downs from the old Denver airport and are now more than 50 years old. Critical parts are no longer manufactured, so we’re essentially forced to replace them. The upside is we can relocate one adjacent to the expanded concourse.
Dunne: What’s it like running day-to-day airport operations while construction is happening?
Stephens: We’re busier than ever and want everyone to have a positive customer experience, but we’re also putting up construction walls. There’s noise, dust, and sometimes people have to take different routes to their gates. From past experience, people are patient because they like seeing progress. Honestly, employees feel it more because they deal with it daily.
Dunne: Talk about the long-term vision. What are the grand plans?
Stephens: This falls under our “Liftoff EUG” initiative, which is currently in the feasibility phase. If we built everything today, we’d be looking at roughly $500 million in renovation and expansion. We’ve identified about $209 million for enabling projects, but we still need about $240 million to complete the Concourse C group.
That includes the concourse walkway, eight new gates, expanded airline offices, ticket counters, baggage claim, and infrastructure upgrades like HVAC. Some of it isn’t glamorous, but we can’t add capacity without modernizing those systems.
Dunne: Is there a linchpin to securing funding?
Stephens: We know it will take more than traditional funding sources like FAA Airport Improvement Program grants. This year we’re requesting congressionally directed spending, about $3 million, and applying for another Connect Oregon grant of roughly $4.5 million. We’re also seeking special state funding.
We’re looking across our five-county catchment area because this is really an economic development effort. Our current economic impact is about $1.6 billion annually, and we believe expansion could grow that to $3.6 billion. We’re exploring partnerships with cities and counties, public-private partnerships, naming rights, and other funding strategies.
Dunne: For many travelers, the first sign of strain is parking. Will that be addressed?
Stephens: Yes. Long term, we can essentially double the size of our economy lot when we build Concourse C. Over Christmas week, we were about 400 cars over capacity, which was uncomfortable operationally. We’re making smaller reconfigurations now to gain spaces, but larger expansion is needed.
Dunne: Are there peer airports you look to as models?
Stephens: We benchmark against Spokane and Boise, which are similar in size and both undergoing major expansion. We also look at Redmond and Medford, but we’re larger than they are today.
Dunne: Given this region’s seismic risk, how does earthquake resilience factor in?
Stephens: Assessments done around 2018 and 2019 identified EUG as an airport likely to remain at least partially operational after a major earthquake. Any new expansion and supporting infrastructure will include seismic upgrades to maintain that resilience.
Dunne: If funding comes together, what’s the timeline?
Stephens: If we stay on track, we could break ground on Concourse C in about five years. Construction would take roughly two years. In seven to eight years, we could have an airport that’s essentially doubled in size and able to retain the roughly 30% of local passengers who currently drive to Portland to fly.
Dunne: She’s Cathryn Stephens, director of the Eugene Airport. Thanks so much for coming in.
Stephens: Thanks so much.
Dunne: Next on the show, our Morning Edition host joins us for a new edition of the Oregon Ready series. Love Cross, we meet again. Thanks for coming in.
Love Cross: Thanks, Michael, for having me.
Dunne: Remind us what the Oregon Ready program is and what you focused on this February.
Cross: KLCC’s Oregon Ready follows Eugene Water & Electric Board’s Pledge to Prepare program, which aligns with the state’s “Be 2 Weeks Ready” initiative. Each month I take one manageable step toward being more prepared for disasters and invite listeners to do the same.
In January, I gathered a duffel bag of supplies: a manual can opener, two flashlights, extra batteries, three days of water and food, and some cash. February’s checklist added another day of supplies, plus unscented bleach and propane for alternative cooking or heat.
Dunne: You focused this month on risks like heat and carbon monoxide. What did you learn?
Cross: The biggest immediate danger during a winter outage is carbon monoxide poisoning. Corvallis Deputy Fire Marshal Carmen Westfall stressed that fuel sources like charcoal, propane, or butane must only be used outdoors. Even cracking a window is not enough. Generators also must be used outside and away from the home.
Dunne: You discovered something about your own generator, right?
Cross: Yes. Mine is still in the box. Westfall emphasized the importance of practicing before an emergency so you understand how it works and have the right fuel and supplies ready.
Dunne: For people without a generator, cost can be a concern.
Cross: They range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on capacity. Many utilities offer rebates or no-interest loans to help offset the cost.
Dunne: What about food safety during outages?
Cross: Oregon State University Extension’s Jared Hibbard Swanson says don’t add foodborne illness to an already stressful situation. Set up a simple hand-washing station, use unscented bleach for sanitizing, and follow the two-hour rule. If a refrigerator rises above 40 degrees for more than two hours, perishable foods should be discarded. Ideally, refrigerators run between 36 and 38 degrees.
Dunne: And freezers?
Cross: A full freezer can stay frozen for one to two days if left closed. We keep frozen water jugs inside to help maintain temperature. He also suggested the “popsicle test.” If a popsicle melts and refreezes, you know everything thawed and should be thrown out. A basic thermometer inside the fridge also helps track temperatures.
Dunne: Any easy wins for building an emergency pantry?
Cross: Shelf-stable foods like canned or dehydrated items are affordable and reliable. Adding a few extra items each shopping trip gradually builds supplies.
Dunne: What’s coming up next month?
Cross: March focuses on emergency radios, battery banks, personal hygiene items, and adding another day of food and water. It’s about staying connected when the grid is down.
Dunne: How can listeners follow along?
Cross: Monthly checklists and resources are at klcc.org/oregon-ready. Listeners can email questions to questions@klcc.org, and we’ll bring those to experts as the series continues.
Dunne: Love, always great to talk with you. Thanks for coming in.
Cross: Thank you for having me.
Dunne: That’s the show for today. Monday on the show, we talk with the creators of an OPB documentary about a shocking crime in Portland’s history and what it says about racially motivated violence in our state.
