A port insider on SSP says the port has shifted to a tunnel connection between the existing Barbara Jordan terminal and the new center concourse. This was something I predicted after hearing the comments from the port's new chief Jacqueline Yaft who came from Denver which has the same parallel concourse design with bridges and tunnels.
She knows that the tunnel is cleaner, has less visible obstructions and would not put a big column in the middle of the taxi path for planes. My worry is you have an outsider that is not listening to her staff that have been building at the port for 20 years who are saying tunneling and maintaining a people mover train underground is going to be very difficult because of the water table at the airport. For those who don't know, there are flood planes all around the port. Also, the needed next port expansion will cost billions of dollars and a tunnel is going to add a huge expense.
He also says they are going to extend the Barbara Jordan terminal a little bit to the west to compensate for the gates lost because of the bridge/tunnel connection in the middle of the BJ concourse. . This west extension should not jeopardize the future center runway. If the extension follows one of the options previously discussed, it will be about half the length of the eastern extension that was just completed.