San Diego International Airport learned Friday that it has been awarded a $23.5 million federal grant that will help fund a project to replace its aging Terminal 1, which is currently under construction.
The FAA announced that the grant to San Diego is one of dozens of infrastructure grants totaling $187 million awarded to airports in 34 states.
The replacement of the 1960s-era Terminal 1 with a new 30-gate facility, along with planned airfield improvements and new road construction, is expected to cost $3.4 billion — three times the $1 billion it cost to redevelop Terminal 2 a decade ago — making it the largest single project ever undertaken by the San Diego County Regional Airports Authority.
The new grant is not the first the airport has received under President Joe Biden's $1 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law in 2021. To date, the airport has received five separate grants totaling about $147 million that went toward building a new terminal and airport-side improvements, including a second taxiway at San Diego's one-runway airport.
“The additional funding for Terminal 1 strengthens the authority's financial position and increases our ability to fund future projects to continue creating a great airport experience for the local community and the world,” airport authority spokeswoman Nicole Hall said.
Overall, $25 billion in Biden's infrastructure bill was set aside specifically for airport improvements, including terminal expansions, upgraded baggage systems and enhanced runway safety.
“Millions of people fly every day, and ensuring passengers get to and from their destinations safely and hassle-free is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The funding we're announcing today will help make critical upgrades at 91 airports, improve travel and further modernize our aviation infrastructure.”
The Terminal 1 project will include 11 additional gates, an expanded and significantly improved food and retail lineup, parking for 5,200 cars and a baggage-handling system capable of handling up to 2,000 bags per hour during peak hours. As part of the redevelopment, a new three-lane airport access road will connect Laurel Street with North Harbour Drive, which airport planners say will reduce daily vehicle traffic from Harbour Drive by 45,000 trips.
The first 19 gates of the new terminal, currently under construction, are scheduled to open by the end of next summer; the old terminal will be demolished soon after. An additional 11 gates are scheduled to be completed by 2027.
There has been considerable progress since construction work began in November 2021. Hall said the first phase of the new Terminal 1 facility is 65 percent complete; meanwhile, construction on the first phase of the adjacent Terminal 1 Parking Plaza is 70 percent complete and is scheduled to open later this summer. The first phase will have 2,800 parking spaces. The second phase, with an additional 2,400 spaces, is scheduled to open a year later.
San Diego's $23.5 million grant was the second-largest of all grants announced Friday. Topping the list was Detroit's Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, which received $61.8 million to help fund improvements to existing airport roads. The improvements will improve access for aircraft rescue fire trucks, airport vehicles and ground service equipment to operate safely.
