Denver International Airport Completes the First New Gates in Expansion Program
Denver International Airport (DEN) has unveiled four new gates on the west side of Concourse B. This 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 concourses. United Airlines will begin using the new gates this weekend, just in time for the holidays.
Mayor Michael B. Hancock, said:We’re proud to celebrate the opening of the first four new gates in DEN’s Gate Expansion Program, especially as construction was able to safely continue this year, despite the pandemic, helping to keep about 1,200 people employed. As Denver and the region work to recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19, these new gates will help to support that recovery. These additional gates will allow airlines to grow and bring new domestic and international routes to DEN.
The expansion area opening this weekend includes four new gates, six holdrooms (passenger waiting areas at gates) and additional airline support areas for a total of 89,247 square feet of new space. Passenger amenities include new restrooms, a nursing room and a pet relief area. The expanded area will also feature upgraded wayfinding, digital signage and a variety of seating options with accessible outlets for charging. DEN also debuted its first outdoor deck, where passengers can enjoy a breath of fresh air with outdoor seating and accompanying fire pits, a pet relief area and beautiful mountain views. New concessions will also be added in the near future once the RFP process is completed.
DEN CEO, Kim Day, said:The new gates on B-West provide a glimpse into the future of DEN’s concourses. It won’t be too long before the expansion work is completed on each concourse and we complete upgrades throughout each concourse, enhancing the experience for all passengers to enjoy. We are proud to have achieved this milestone on time and on budget and would like to thank our airline partners for their continued commitment to DEN as well as our contractors for helping us build DEN’s 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 additional needs of an airport that was built for 50 million passengers and in 2019 welcomed more than 69 million. DEN is an enterprise of the City and County of Denver and does not operate using General Fund tax dollars. DEN’s CIP is bond funded and will be paid through airport revenue.
All four gates in the B-West expansion area have already been leased by longtime DEN partner, United Airlines. The airline intends to begin using the gates immediately for holiday travelers.
United’s vice president of airport operations in Denver, Matt Miller, said:Despite the challenges we’ve faced as a company and community this year, our commitment to Denver has never been stronger. Denver continues to be our fastest growing hub with flying returning more quickly here than anywhere else in our network. I am enormously proud of these new state-of-the-art gates which will help our Denver customers access more flights to more places than ever before. The gates have been designed with our customers in mind and we’re confident they will love them as much as we do.
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 expansion work on Concourse A-West. HNTB Corp. was contracted for architectural and design services for the project, and WSP serves as DEN’s Program Management Team (PMT). The B-West expansion project was completed on time and on budget.
The new expansion on B-West reflects DEN’s commitment to sustainability and is expected to be LEED Gold Certified. B-West features the first rooftop solar system at DEN, with the capability to generate nearly 100 kilowatts of electricity. Additionally, the project was designed with energy efficiency in mind and 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 will continue with active construction on Concourses A-West, B-East and C-East. All new gates are expected to be operational in 2022. Passengers can explore the new B-West expansion area including the beautiful outdoor deck during the holiday travel season this year by taking the train to Concourse B and heading to the far western end of the concourse.
This article was originally published by Denver International Airport.
