Denver International Airport’s only roadway access will undergo a 900-day reconstruction if the City Council approves a contract for nearly $51 million on Monday.

The planned improvements to Peña Boulevard come after the airport had a record number of travelers last year. Ranked the third busiest airport in the nation, DIA served 77.8 million people in 2023 and shattered 2022’s record of 69.3 million.

The reconstruction is expected to result in more fluid travel to terminals, rental car agencies and parking lots and will reduce traffic congestion to and from the airport, according to city officials.

The 11.1 mile stretch is the only roadway access into and out of DIA. Peña Boulevard also connects to many nearby future developments and communities, including Montbello, Green Valley Ranch and Gateway.

If approved, the city would pay Flatiron Construction $50,793,225 for 900 calendar days of construction.

Denver airport smashes all-time passenger record in 2023

The Peña Boulevard improvements would include widening, repaving and new ramps.

A large part of the project would be to reconstruct the Peña Boulevard and Jackson Gap Street interchange into a “diverging diamond interchange” configuration, thus “reducing delays for all users,” according to the proposed contract with Flatiron Construction.

The intersection serves as an entryway to several of the nearby rental car agencies.

“The Jackson Gap Street reconstruction replaces pavement and includes new pedestrian multi-use paths as well as (a) dedicated bus-only lane for access to Jeppesen Terminal,” the contract states.

The project also widens Peña Boulevard bridges over the Jackson Gap, according to DIA’s plan for Peña Boulevard.

To re-route traffic, the plan indicates the project would add direct connection ramps from both the East and West terminals to New Castle Street and 78th Avenue.

This new construction would “provide direct access for rental car buses from East Terminal Outbound and West Terminal Outbound to New Castle Road,” according to the proposed contract.

“The direct access ramps remove buses from Peña Boulevard and provide a dedicated bus-only route to rental car companies along 78th Avenue,” the contract adds.

Construction would also include work on existing pavement, traffic signals, storm sewers, drainage and improvements on existing bus ramps.

Reconstruction of Peña Boulevard will serve future nearby developments, according to DIA officials.

DIA’s area, particularly the Gateway region, contains a significant amount of undeveloped land in Denver’s northeast, an area that is expected to attract a high number of developments in the years ahead.

The Peña Boulevard reconstruction is expected to start later in 2024 and be completed in 2027, according to the “Peña Master Plan” that DIA is currently implementing.

In other DIA construction news, a large portion of the Pikes Peak Shuttle Lot will close April 7 for reconstruction, according to an airport news release.

DIA plans to reconstruct the lot’s islands and curbs, install new snow storage pads, update the drainage and repave and restripe the surface. The lot’s reconstructed portion is planned to reopen in September, the news release said.

Only 4,500 spaces in the Pikes Peak Shuttle Lot will be open during construction.