Denver International Airport to build pedestrian walkways between concourses

Denver International Airport has announced plans to construct pedestrian walkways between concourses. Right now, the only way to get between concourses is by taking the train located under the terminal and airport. 

On Tuesday morning, the airport's CEO and Denver's mayor said the walkways are part of the investment into the passenger experience. 

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said the airport will repurpose portions of its existing underground baggage tunnels for the pedestrian walkways, which they said are the best alternative option to the train. Passengers will be able to travel between Concourse A to B, and B to C. 

"It is long overdue," said Washington. "We have a must-ride train system to our concourses. We need redundancy for that train. And so for 31 years, we have not had that redundancy at this airport. Even though the train uptime is very good, about 99% of the time it's working, but when it's not working, it's pure chaos at this airport. And so the idea of redundancy, where people can walk to the concourses, all the way to Concourse C, is a big, big deal."

The airport said plans are still being finalized, with construction set to begin next year. 

"This is a big win for Denver's travelers and for our entire community," said Johnston in a statement. "We've heard loud and clear that easier, more reliable ways to move between concourses has been a top priority for people traveling in and out of DEN. These new pedestrian walkways would deliver on that – giving folks more flexibility while we continue building one of the best-connected airports in the world. And who knows... maybe along the way, travelers will finally get a closer look at the underground tunnels and decide for themselves what's fact and what's fiction."

In recent months, there have been multiple incidents impacting the train that transports passengers between the terminal and the concourses, including a power outage that led to a ground stop at the airport in March. 

Denver International Airport opened on Feb. 28, 1995, with 31 of the original train cars in the passenger-moving system. This year, the airport began replacing the last of the original train cars as part of its $78.85 million investment in the system, according to the airport.  

"This project is in the range of $300 million to $700 million. Of course, design will be a key," said Washington.

Washington told CBS Colorado in February that "DEN's train to the concourses serves over 150,000 riders each day." 

"As DEN continues to increase passenger numbers and global connections, we are committed to providing customers with the best airport experience. Adding pedestrian walkways to DEN's current infrastructure is another key component of our Vision 100 plan," said Washington. 

Airport officials said the Great Hall refresh of the Jeppesen Terminal is scheduled to be completed by next year. 

According to the airport, it is the fourth-busiest airport in the U.S. and the 10th-busiest in the world.