Denver International Airport Officially Confirms New Walkways Between Concourses

DENVER, CO – Denver International Airport has officially unveiled plans to construct new pedestrian walkways connecting Concourses A, B, and C, marking the first time travelers would be able to move between concourses without relying solely on the airport’s underground train system.

Airport officials announced Tuesday that the project will repurpose portions of DEN’s existing underground baggage tunnel infrastructure to create new passenger connections between concourses. According to the airport, the tunnels were determined to be the best alternative option to the train system for passengers traveling between Concourses A and B as well as B and C.

Construction on the new pedestrian walkways is currently expected to begin in 2027, with final project details still being finalized.

The project is part of DEN’s larger “Vision 100” strategy, a long-term initiative focused on preparing Denver International Airport for continued passenger growth and expanded international connectivity as the airport works toward eventually accommodating 100 million annual passengers annually.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston described the project as a major win for travelers and the broader Denver region, noting that easier and more reliable movement between concourses has become one of the most requested improvements from passengers traveling through DEN. Johnston also referenced the airport’s long-running underground tunnel fascination during the announcement, joking that travelers may finally get the opportunity to “decide for themselves what’s fact and what’s fiction” regarding DEN’s underground infrastructure.

Airport leadership emphasized that the pedestrian walkways are intended to complement DEN’s existing Automated Guideway Transit System rather than replace it. In recent years, DEN has invested more than $75 million modernizing its train system, including replacing original train cars dating back to the airport’s 1995 opening, with additional upgrades and new train cars still planned in the coming years.

The announcement also follows several recent operational disruptions involving the airport train system, including outages and delays that temporarily impacted passenger movement throughout the airport earlier this year.

In addition to the new pedestrian walkways, DEN continues advancing several major modernization efforts across the airport, including concourse expansion projects, gate additions, concourse renovations, and the ongoing Great Hall redevelopment inside Jeppesen Terminal. Over the past several years, DEN has added 39 new gates across all three concourses through its gate expansion program while continuing renovation work on older concourse infrastructure.

Major airline partners including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines also voiced support for the project, highlighting the added passenger flexibility and operational resiliency the new connections are expected to provide.

As DEN continues ranking among the busiest airports in the United States and one of the busiest airports globally, airport officials say long-term investments focused on passenger movement, operational redundancy, and infrastructure resiliency will remain a major priority moving forward.

 

All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.


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All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.

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