Denver International Airport officials and airline representatives continued to meet today to discuss ways to ease disruptions looming in the south terminal redevelopment program.
“We’ve had lots of suggestions, and we have a really good ongoing dialog with the airlines,” said DIA spokeswoman Jenny Schiavone .
The airlines will be particularly hard-hit by construction that will involve lowering bridges or ramps on both sides of the terminal so a 500-room hotel, a plaza and transit station can be built.
Work on Level 4 West, which is where passengers are picked up, is scheduled to take 11 months; work on Level 5 West, where commercial vehicles such as buses operate, will take nine months, and work on Level 6 West, where passengers are dropped off, will take 10 months.
After the west side is completed, work would shift to the east side. During construction on one side, all of the airlines’ curbside service would shift to the other side of the terminal.
Last week, DIA officials told a Denver City Council committee that they wanted to shut down access to the entire west side starting in mid-April. “It is a work in progress,” aviation manager Kim Day said.
Construction now will begin in early May. The transit station must be turned over to RTD in January 2014 under an agreement.
Schiavone said construction-access plans may be finalized in the next week and an extensive public information campaign will begin. City officials will be apprised of how traffic will be routed, though city approval is not required.
Ann Schrader: 303-954-1967 or aschrader@denverpost.com
