Construction is halfway complete on new Des Moines airport terminal
Construction started in April 2024, but the airport had been planning for this project since 2014, when an analysis found that their current terminal couldn't expand any further. The construction will add additional gates and will help keep up with increasing air travel.
The new terminal is expected to open in January 2027.
As previously reported, the new terminal will also showcase five public art pieces. The Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation successfully fundraised $4 million to have five installations in the new terminal, and the work on these installations is ongoing, according to Sarah Hoodjer, Communications Manager at the Des Moines International Airport.
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WHO 13 News also previously reported that the current terminal will be torn down and turned into a roadway for travelers to be picked up or dropped off at the new terminal. The only section of the current terminal that will not be bulldozed is the baggage claim area, which will be transformed into an office space.
Construction will continue at the airport even after the new terminal is open. Hoodjer said the new terminal will be expanded up to Fleur Drive, and additional projects will be constructed.
Another project that the airport is currently working on is expanding its parking garage. According to Hoodjer, the airport has successfully added 1,100 additional parking spots. There are now a total of 2,904 spots for daily and hourly parking near the terminal.
The parking garage expansion will be open in June.
This comes after the Des Moines International Airport recently announced a new logo and brand this year. They also added five new flights this year.
'It's the place airlines want to come, it's the place Iowans want to fly out of, and we're just excited to keep expanding and making it better,' said Hoodjer.
On Wednesday, WHO 13 News will go inside the new terminal for a sneak peek into the construction process. Officials will also share more details on their expansion efforts, including the following projects:
New de-icing pads
New car rental facility
New sky bridge connecting the new parking garage expansion to the new terminal
Construction for all three of these projects will begin this summer.
The de-icing pads will help increase efficiency at the airport. In January, the general manager for the airport's Integrated Deicing Services, Amanda Berry, joined Today in Iowa live to share the importance of de-icing and demonstrate the behind-the-scenes process.
During those interviews, she shared that the airport did not have a designated area for planes to be de-iced. Berry said this often led to her team being in the way and other planes were unable to move around. Now, the construction of the new de-icing pads will make the process more efficient.
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