SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego International Airport will get slightly easier to find parking ahead of the busy Labor Day weekend as the first feature of the multi-billion-dollar Terminal 1 renovation is set to open.
The new Terminal 1 Parking Plaza will debut on Tuesday, and with its opening comes an additional 2,834 parking spaces for drivers to use — something that will hopefully alleviate a modicum of the congestion around the airport during a busy travel weekend.
On top of the additional general parking spaces, the new garage will also house dozens of parking stalls designated for “clean vehicles” and for EV charging, as well a handful of spots for short-duration parking.
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According to airport officials, it will cost $2.50 for 15 minutes in each of the one-hour spots, while full days are $38. There will be a 10-minute payment grace period for those who accidentally turn into the lot or use it for a quick drop off.
For those who like to plan ahead, online reservations will be available to save a parking space at the plaza.
However, airport authority officials urge travelers to remain mindful of peak traffic hours — 4 a.m. to 6:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. to midnight — and plan their trips accordingly.
As with other parts of the airport, drivers will need to head west on North Harbor Drive to access the Terminal 1 Parking Plaza. Once near the airport, drivers will want to get in the right lane to reach the terminal before going left when it splits traffic to parking and curbside drop-off.
While the Terminal 1 parking structure will be open for business, it is not the end of the construction work for the garage quite yet.
Crews will now be shifting to the second stage of the Terminal 1 Parking Plaza build out, which includes adding an additional 2,396 parking spaces, over 100 EV charging ports, hundreds of bicycle parking spots, and additional “Clean Vehicle” spaces.
The stage two work is expected to be completed alongside the first phase of the Terminal 1 building, which is the christening of 19 new gates, in late summer 2025. The remainder of the renovation is expected to take until mid-2028 at the earliest.
The total cost of all improvements, including the new parking structure, is upwards of $3.8 billion, according to the airport authority. Construction is being funded from federal grants through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as well as airline operating and lease agreements.
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