Denver International Airport needs to improve its oversight of construction projects to avoid unnecessary spending and scheduling delays, a recent audit from the Denver Auditor’s Office found.

“The airport is spending billions on a new runway, gate expansion, the Great Hall, security updates, and other construction projects,” Auditor Tim O’Brien said in a news release. “Air-tight monitoring and oversight of all construction projects is essential to keep the public’s investment on track.”

The audit started as an overview of the Airport Infrastructure Management Division’s oversight of construction on Peña Boulevard, but organizational concerns across all airport construction projects came up. O’Brien said similar issues have come up in previous construction-related audits as well.

“The city should get what it pays for and it should not overpay compared to market rates,” O’Brien said. “Oversight is the first step to accountability for public resources.”

The airport’s lack of strong oversight means it could be overpaying for construction and failing to meet project deadlines, the auditor said. There’s also concern over ensuring all the work that needs to be done gets done and is in compliance with project contracts.

The airport also isn’t correctly keeping records of contractor performance issues, the audit found. It said inaccuracies and incomplete documentation make it difficult for the airport to ensure contractors fix everything properly.

“Processing paperwork and keeping appropriate documentation is a step that’s easily overlooked but essential when it comes to keeping such large-scale projects on time and on budget,” O’Brien said in the release.

In a statement, airport officials said they agree with the majority of the audit’s findings related to process and documentation. They plan to implement changes and even made some improvements before the audit. 

“DEN also wants to make it very clear that the Peña Boulevard project was, in fact, completed on time and on budget,” the statement said. “As DEN continues to age and grow, construction across our facility will be necessary and DEN is committed to making necessary changes to ensure projects are executed efficiently.”