Peña Boulevard improvement project reaches big milestone

DENVER — The project to improve Peña Boulevard has reached a significant milestone.

All five lanes of inbound Peña Boulevard – between Jackson Gap Street and the Jeppesen Terminal – have opened with brand-new directional signage, according to Denver International Airport (DIA).

Inbound Peña Boulevard now has three through lanes, as well as dedicated travel lanes from the Jackson Gap Street on-ramp. DIA said the acceleration/deceleration lanes will help improve safety and traffic flow by eliminating weaving patterns due to merging traffic.

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DIA aims for the majority of the $30-million Peña project to be completed by mid-August, with minor work continuing through September 2021.

Even though inbound Peña Boulevard now has five lanes open, various lane closures may take place at night to install new signage, complete the Return-to-Terminal route and other additional work.

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"We began this critical work on Peña Boulevard last summer and expedited work to take advantage of the lower passenger volumes," said DIA CEO Kim Day. "The additional lanes coming from the Jackson Gap Street on-ramp will greatly improve safety and operations as our passenger volume continues to increase. Additionally, in the coming weeks, we will open the new Return-to-Terminal loop, which will improve safety on Jackson Gap Street."

$30-million Peña Boulevard project:

• Improving traffic flow to accommodate current and future growth of DIA.
• Improving safety for the public by reducing weaving patterns near the terminal.
• Improving routes for ground transportation providers and rental car shuttles.
• Replacing aging infrastructure that is over 25 years old.
• Relocating the Return-to-Terminal route, which allows drivers on outbound Peña Boulevard to turn back to the terminal, to Jackson Gap Street, about one mile from the current route. The new free-flow loop at Jackson Gap Street will improve traffic flow and simplify the route for traffic returning to the terminal.

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