As part of DFW Airport's $12 billion modernization plan, construction has started on International Parkway, the highway that runs through the middle of the airport. The project will move exits to terminals from the left-hand side of the highway to the right.
"International Parkway took us a lot of hours, a lot of days, a lot of months in planning because we want to make sure we minimize the impairment and maximize the public access to DFW," says Mohamed Charkas, the airport's executive vice president of infrastructure and development. "We take pride in being the airport that is park and fly. We want to make sure any disruption is kept at a bare minimum."
Charkas says that planning has led to construction crews building new bridges before old ones are dismantled. He says crews have built 141 support beams for the ramps leading to Terminals A, B and C.
By building the new bridges first, he says closures should be limited to 90 days. Otherwise, he says detours could be in place a full year.
Still, he says some closures will be necessary. Terminals will still be accessible, but he urges people to arrive at the airport an additional 30 to 45 minutes before a flight to ensure they can reach their gate in time.
"We have waged a huge information campaign to make sure the public is always aware of all the detours," Charkas says.
He says updates will be posted at dfwairport.com at least 30 days before a closure, and when congestion might be an issue in one area, the airport's Department of Public Safety officers will respond to guide traffic.
Travis Halls, who works with the construction team, says teams are working to minimize the impact to people arriving and departing. He says they have worked to make sure the route used during the detour will "flow efficiently and flow smooth."
"A lot of time and effort has gone into getting as much as we can done ahead of time," he says.
The exits will also also be widened.
Charkas says construction will continue the rest of this year with a goal of finishing before the World Cup.
"We want to make sure our guests have a pleasant journey," he says. "We're doing everything possible to finish those bridges prior to the 2026 World Cup."
In addition to the reconstruction of International Parkway, the airport is adding gates at Terminal C and has started construction on Terminal F which is expected to open in 2027.
By 2030, DFW Airport expects to serve 100 million passengers a year.