Windsor Locks  — A new terminal with 19 gates has been proposed for Bradley International Airport, significantly expanding the regional airport serving Connecticut and western Massachusetts.

The Hartford Courant reports (http://cour.at/Nn8k6C ) that the project's costs are nearly $650 million to demolish an old terminal and begin building a new one. It's expected to be finished in 2018.

Based on projected growth, the airport will need 31 gates in 2028, which is 11 short of the 20 gates that will be available at Terminal A.

The cost would be financed by federal and state government.

Economic development executives say Bradley is crucial to adding and keeping jobs. The number of passengers in 2011 was up from the previous year, but down 24 percent from 2005.