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Tag: pena boulevard

  • DIA’s Concourse C, Peña Boulevard set for more construction following City Council contract approvals

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    Michael Singer’s “Untitled (Interior Garden)” in Denver International Airport’s C Concourse. Nov. 25, 2025.

    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Denver International Airport’s growth is set to continue after the Denver City Council approved contracts to expand Concourse C and renovate parts of Peña Boulevard. 

    The $70 million Concourse C contract will add over 400,000 square feet and 11 new gates to the west side of the terminal. DIA also said the expansion will include “modern amenities” and new concessions spaces. 

    The seven-year contract is with construction management firm V-1 Consultants, including two one-year options to extend. 

    The expansion at C West will be the last possible concourse expansion. DIA has been working to expand the other concourse wings since 2020. DIA has built dozens of new gates across its three concourses, in addition to adding more concession space, restrooms and outdoor decks. 

    The airport also will renovate Peña Boulevard, but it isn’t the major expansion the airport has been touting quite yet. 

    The city council agreed to pay Hg Consult $8.8 million for a five-year contract to rebuild the road between E-470 and Jackson Gap Street. 

    The project will maintain the same number of travel lanes, but will realign and add several on- and off-ramps along that stretch of Peña. 

    While this contract only applies to the stretch of Peña Boulevard closest to the airport, the city is spending millions more to explore widening the road. Last year, Denver City Council approved a $15 million contract to study options for alleviating traffic congestion on the main road to the airport. 

    Cars drive over Peña Boulevard. Aug. 24, 2023.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Traffic to and from the airport has worsened, due in part to the airport’s explosive growth in recent years. Airport officials have said they’ve been considering all avenues, including dedicating new lanes to buses and carpoolers. 

    The decision to award the contract last year drew pushback from transit and environmental advocates, as well as some councilmembers who said a possible lane expansion is a poor choice when the city should be working on reducing emissions. 

    Could the end of DIA’s construction-palooza be in sight?

    While the pending construction of Concourse C West marks the final expansion of DIA’s three terminals, the airport has plenty of other plans.

    Construction and south security at Denver International Airport. Oct. 28, 2022.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    The airport’s Great Hall reconstruction, which has been underway for years now, recently entered its final phase. By the time it’s done — projected to be 2027 — there will be new arrival spaces for international and domestic passengers, more security lanes and a big crystal tree.

    Another major project is on the horizon, too. City officials recently approved a $150 million contract to build and manage a consolidated car rental facility and a transportation link to it.  
    Smaller projects include the planned removal of Concourse C’s interior garden above the train stop and food and retail openings.

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  • DIA seeks public input on Peña Boulevard upgrades

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    DENVER — If you have ever had to drive to Denver International Airport, you know it’s one of the most congested corridors in the city. However, airport authorities are now inviting travelers, workers, and community members to complete a survey on ways to improve Peña Boulevard.

    Peña Boulevard was built over 30 years ago. It now handles more than 139,000 vehicles daily—an 80% increase since opening. This has led to congestion, crashes, and maintenance challenges.

    In April of this year, the Denver City Council voted to approve a five-year, $15 million contract for a study to explore options for reducing traffic on Peña Boulevard.

    The federal environmental study fulfills a requirement under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the contract includes funding for preliminary design of proposed changes to the busy corridor.

    The feedback will guide the Peña Design & NEPA project. This review must be completed before improvements can begin.

    The airport has proposed options, such as adding a bus-only lane, a carpool or toll lane, or a collector or frontage road to separate airport and local traffic.

    The survey asks about travel habits, concerns, and communication preferences.

    Responses will help shape a preferred alternative for future construction, which could begin as early as 2028.

    The deadline to complete the survey is Dec. 31, 2025.

    ◼️ Previous coverage
    Potential solutions to Peña Boulevard’s traffic jams hit roadblock 
    Future of a congested Peña Boulevard up for discussion 
    FAA “will not fund any portion” of widening to reduce jams on DIA’s Peña Blvd
    Denver City Council approves $15 million study to review traffic reduction options for Peña Boulevard

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  • $5 million to study widening Peña Boulevard is moving forward, despite concerns about climate change | Denverite

    $5 million to study widening Peña Boulevard is moving forward, despite concerns about climate change | Denverite

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    Cars drive over Peña Boulevard. Aug. 24, 2023.

    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Denver International Airport can spend a $5 million grant from the state to study the potential of widening Peña Boulevard, the two-lane highway to and from the airport that often faces dense traffic during rush hour. A divided City Council voted seven to six to approve a bill funding the study Monday.

    The airport’s interest in widening Peña comes as airport passenger traffic grows quickly, along with residential and commercial development in Montbello and Green Valley Ranch. 

    In February, the airport released a report considering five options for the road: adding a bus-only lane, adding a “managed lane” either for carpools or a toll lane, building a frontage road for local traffic off the highway, building a collector road to separate airport express traffic and local traffic, or doing nothing at all.

    But some Councilmembers and climate advocates want the airport to focus on disincentivizing car trips, increasing A line service and conducting a study considering other options that would not involve widening the highway. Some studies have shown that highway widenings ultimately lead to more traffic down the line by increasing demand on a given road. Meanwhile, the state has moved away from widening highways in recent years.

    “We’ve got to be laying out a road map for a more sustainable future,” said Councilmember Paul Kashmann, who voted against the funding along with Councilmembers Shontel Lewis, Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, Chris Hinds, Sarah Parady and Darrell Watson. “The current plan simply lacks any degree of imagination.”

    Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington sent a letter of support for the study to City Council last week. He said that the airport is committed to multimodal, non-car transportation options, but that the airport also has to address Peña. The study would also include looking into things like bike lockers and other infrastructure improvements and programs that would disincentive single car usage.

    “All modes of transit are important to DEN,” he wrote.

    Supporters of the study say it’s necessary for residents in the area and travelers who do not live near the A Line.

    Councilmember Stacie Gilmore represents District 11 which includes Montbello and Green Valley Ranch, the neighborhoods directly adjacent to the airport. She framed the conversation as an environmental justice issue, as those neighborhoods lack the same infrastructure and transit network as elsewhere in the city.

    “People tell me every day that we need to address Peña… It affects our day-to-day life so negatively in District 11,” she said. “We deserve better than having no action on this.”

    Councilmember Kevin Flynn advocated for a “yes-and” approach that would move forward with studying traffic management options on Peña Boulevard. He said it would not preclude pushing for A Line improvements as well and that solely promoting A Line travel is unrealistic given how many people live far from A Line stations and the lack of a broader transit network city- and statewide that could quickly connect people to the airport line.

    “The A Line is great, I love it,” he said. “But I can’t ask everyone in the Denver metro area or the state of Colorado to drive to an A Line station to get to the airport.”

    In a letter to City Council, the Denver Bicycle Lobby wrote that the airport should better invest in buses to stations and park-and-rides along with A-Line service to discourage cars on Peña Boulevard. The letter expressed concerns about the airport potentially spending nearly $300 million on expanding the road down the line.

    “Investing in more reliable and affordable train service would free up capacity on Pena Blvd for those who do need to drive,” Bike Lobby members David Mintzer and June Churchill wrote. “Doubling down on a wider highway will instead just increase automobile dependency and lead to more congestion in 5-10 years.”

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