The way you drop off and pick up your family and friends at the San Antonio International Airport is about to change, at least for the next two years.
Starting Monday, the departures and arrival lanes at the airport will be reduced to allow for construction on Terminal C.
With heavy traffic expected in those areas during peak travel times, airport officials are asking people to consider using the short-term parking area of the garage for pick-ups and drop-offs.
The work to improve the roadways is part of the overall $1.7 billion project underway to deliver another terminal with up to 17 gates at the airport by 2028.
“We’re on scope, on schedule and on budget with the terminal development program, and continue to move forward with that effort,” said Director of Airports Jesus Saenz. “Within that program, we’re making some new advancements with our overall roadway and the curbs adjacent to the terminal complexes.”
Work will begin first at the mid-section of Terminal B (near columns B18-20), on both levels adjacent to the site of the new terminal. Two sets of terminal doors will be shuttered.
Construction fencing will, in some cases, block all but one vehicular lane for traffic exiting the terminal complex, and will remain that way until the terminal is completed.
Work on the roadways is expected to continue in phases at Terminals A and B, starting at the end of the year or in early 2027, with the entire project lasting about two years.
The goal is to improve accessibility by expanding lanes and creating new lanes.
Phase I will include construction on the Terminal C canopy, which will provide weather protection and an improved curbside experience.
Plans also call for creating bypass roadways so that those who are departing and arriving at Terminal A can enter and exit the terminal complex without ever driving through the other terminal roadways.
If you’re headed for Terminal C, you’ll be able to bypass the first two terminals to get there.
This map shows the scope of the first phase of a project to improve roadways in the terminal complex. Credit: San Antonio Airport
“It is a very well-thought-out design that we have put together, and we feel very confident that it’s going to make a big difference,” Saenz said.
In the meantime, to avoid delays, officials recommend skipping the departure and arrival lanes altogether.
Drivers can instead follow the signs and enter the garage to park in one of 80 designated spaces that allow for 15 minutes of free parking. Staying a little longer? The cost will be $3 for up to an hour.
Drivers could also consider using the three-hour, short-term parking option in the garage, which is $5 for the first hour and $4 after that.
See the airport parking site online for more details about parking locations and fees.
In both cases, travelers can use the crosswalks for the short walk to and from the terminal and garage.
The garage and cell phone waiting lot is open 24/7.
Traffic tie-ups caused by the construction will occur mostly during the busiest hours for the airport, early morning and late evening, Saenz said.
“We purposefully scheduled this so that it is after spring break completion, so that we can take care of our passengers,” he said. “But it is going to happen during summer, and as we get into the holidays later this year, it’s going to have some impact.”
The construction comes at a time when the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is feeling the squeeze of a prolonged partial government shutdown. TSA agents are working without pay, leading to absences that’s resulted in long delays at security checkpoints at some major airports across the county.
Average wait times at San Antonio airport checkpoints are 10 minutes or less, Saenz said.