Both sides of the political divide continued to clash in the House of Assembly over the price tag of a new terminal for LF Wade International Airport.

While different administrations have recognised the need to upgrade the ageing facility for at least the last decade, the latest proposal brought by the One Bermuda Alliance has been staunchly opposed by the Progressive Labour Party since it was announced in November.

Costs entailed in the envisaged public-private partnership have proven especially contentious. In the latest session of Parliament, Finance Minister Bob Richards said the PLP’s scheme for a massive redevelopment of the airport, including a ferry terminal and marina, would have cost the Island almost a billion dollars.

The minister cited $972,936,570 as the estimate prepared by consultants HNTB, a United States civil engineering firm that continues to be used by the Bermuda Government.

Meanwhile Woodbourne Associates projected a cost of $445 million for an airport terminal itself, while Mr Richards said the present airport terminal plan was expected to cost $255 million.

Shadow Transport Minister Lawrence Scott told the House that the present estimated cost was $100 million short, as it did not include all that would be required to build a new terminal.

However, Mr Richards dismissed that as “pure speculation”.

In an unusual move, the old PLP figures were revealed by the minister in response to parliamentary questions from a OBA Member of Parliament, Nandi Outerbridge, rather than from the Opposition.

The previous administration embarked on its plans for a new airport in March 2005, MPs heard, with $3.3 million paid to HNTB over the next four years to come up with its designs.

Opposition MPs protested that the figure was high because the wide range of amenities put forward by HNTB represented a “wish list”.

That model, when shown to this newspaper in 2007, was described as a state-of-the-art building by airport general manager Aaron Adderley — with the extravagant domed terminal structure likened to Australia’s iconic Sydney Opera House.