Denver International Airport’s Great Hall Project, which has been on hold for months since the developer was fired in August, will restart this week.  

The resumed construction was made possible by Denver City Council, who last month approved the $195 million contract with Hensel Phelps to take over the project, which is now three years behind schedule. The new developer will help move the airport’s security screening checkpoints up to Level 6, roll out new screening technology to make the process “more efficient,” and consolidate airline ticket counters, along with other “passenger-focused” renovations.

“We are pleased to have Hensel Phelps on our team to help us move the project forward in an efficient manner and with a strong emphasis on safety and operations,” airport CEO Kim Day said in a news release on Tuesday. “As construction resumes, we will continue to focus on the passenger experience and provide transparency into the project through public tours and a project dashboard, both which will be announced in the coming weeks.”

The forthcoming online dashboard, which DIA officials informed the council of in November, will allow the public to track the construction progress.

This week, Hensel Phelps will resume construction on the first phase of the project, which includes finishing the demolition on the center of the terminal on Level 6; constructing new airline ticket counters, widening the balconies for future TSA checkpoints; adding two new restrooms on the east and west sides; and upgrading mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure.

The first phase of the project is expected to be finalized by late 2021, according to airport officials. In the meantime, airport officials say passengers “can expect some noise impacts daily” from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., as demolition activities resume.

The entire Great Hall Project, which is expected to be finished in 2024, is intended to heighten security, improve airport operations and increase DIA’s capacity to serve 80 million passengers.

As it currently stands, DIA’s terminal is designed to accommodate 50 million passengers, although in 2019 the airport saw nearly 70 million visitors.

The city terminated contractor Great Hall Partners last summer after delays, reportedly from faulty concrete and repeated change directives.

The original budget for the project has been left unchanged, at $770 million, Day told council members last month. That figure includes a $120 million contingency fund.

Meanwhile, DIA is still finalizing fallout payments with former contractor Great Hall Partners. The airport is required to reimburse the company for money it spent on the project for work already completed. Great Hall Partners funded 27% of the project, and the airport covered the rest.

So far, the airport has paid out roughly $128 million to the contractor, including more than $90 million for Great Hall Partners’ investment in the project and nearly $38 million for the return on the contractor’s investment that its owners would have received over the 34-year life on the contract.

Airport management estimates the total termination payment could cost up to $210 million.