Passengers can expect significant delays at the San Diego International Airport Tuesday through Friday because of the planned demolition of a pedestrian bridge at Terminal 1, authorities said.
Terminal 1 ground transportation services, including taxis, ride share, courtesy vehicles and rental car buses will be temporarily relocated to an area in the former Terminal 1 parking lot, the airport's Sabrina LoPiccolo said.
All passengers using these services will need to cross the Terminal 1 crosswalk and walk toward the parking lot area.
Private vehicles will be routed through the current Terminal 1 transportation islands to drop off or pick up passengers. Passengers will be instructed to use the crosswalk located in front of Terminal 1 to access either the terminal or private vehicles.
"Everyone coming to the airport — whether flying, picking up or dropping off — should prepare for congestion and delays," LoPiccolo said. "Plan to arrive early and use caution when traveling through the work area. Volunteers will be stationed outside Terminal 1 to assist arriving and departing passengers."
Parking at the airport will be extremely limited. Here are some suggested options for passengers:
— Use public transit to the airport. Try the free San Diego Flyer shuttle, a last-mile connection between the Old Town Transit Center and the airport. MTS will also offer free rides on the 992 bus from the airport to downtown through Labor Day.
— Get dropped off or picked up by friends or family. Taxi, Lyft, Uber or other rideshare options are good alternatives.
— If parking at the airport, make parking reservations. They can be made for the Terminal 2 Parking Plaza or valet. If parking in the Terminal 2 Parking Plaza but flying from Terminal 1, passengers can ride the Terminal Loop Shuttle, which transports passengers between the two terminals. Reservations can be made at san.org/parking.
The new Terminal 1 Parking Plaza is expected to open in the fall of 2024.
LoPiccolo said major construction projects at San Diego International take a long time, partly because of the airport's limited footprint.
“We’re really essentially building an airport on top of an airport. We have a very limited amount of space and so it is like a jigsaw puzzle, trying to figure out the best way to get some of the things that we need to get done to move and make progress on this construction," said LoPiccolo. The entire project is slated to be complete in 2028.
