Denver International Airport recently unveiled four new gates that were constructed on the west side of Concourse B. The milestone marks the opening of the first of four gate expansion areas that will add a total of 39 new gates and extensive passenger amenities across all three of the airport’s concourses by 2022. United Airlines began using the new gates just before Thanksgiving.

The expansion area that just opened includes four new gates, six passenger waiting areas at gates and additional airline support areas, for a total of 89,247 sq ft of new space.

The expanded area also will feature upgraded wayfinding, digital signage and a variety of seating options with accessible outlets for charging. As part of the project, DIA debuted its first outdoor deck, which includes fire pits, a pet relief area and mountain views. New concessions also will be added in the near future after the request-for-proposal process for those is completed.

The B-West expansion area broke ground in May 2018 and has been managed by Turner Construction and Flatiron Construction, a joint venture that also manages the expansion work on Concourse A-West.

HNTB Corp. was contracted for architectural and design services for the project, and WSP serves as DIA’s program management team. The B-West expansion project was completed on time and on budget, according to airport officials.

A Glimpse Into the Future

The $1.5-billion Gate Expansion Program is part of the airport’s five-year capital improvement program (CIP) and is designed to meet the current and future needs of an airport that was built for 50 million passengers, and in 2019 welcomed more than 69 million. DIA is an enterprise of the city and county of Denver and does not operate using general fund tax dollars. DIA’s CIP is bond funded and will be paid through airport revenue.

“The new gates on B-West provide a glimpse into the future of the airport’s concourses,” said DIA CEO Kim Day, in a statement. All four gates in the B-West expansion have already been leased to United Airlines.

The new expansion on B-West is expected to be LEED Gold certified. B-West features the first rooftop solar system at DIA, with the capability to generate nearly 100 kW of electricity. Additionally, the project is projected to reduce energy use of the facility by 20% over conventional design. Low-flow fixtures, toilets, and urinals are projected to reduce water use in the facility by approximately 48%.

The Gate Expansion Program continues with construction on Concourses A-West, B-East and C-East. All new gates are expected to be operational in 2022.