Travelers Already Finding A Way Around DIA Construction
DENVER (CBS4) - Those who dropped off passengers at Denver International Airport over the weekend may have been frustrated by new detours and traffic jams.
Construction on the west side of the airport means drivers have to swing outside the parking garage to pick up and drop off travelers. The work will last one year.
Over the weekend there were backups and certainly during the height of travel season there will be delays.
"It was a bit of a pain in the butt. The obstacle course was hard to follow," one driver said.
Travelers are already coming up with ways of avoiding drop-offs and pickups during the construction phase. On Monday one woman was sitting in the Stapleton Park-n-Ride waiting for her friend to take the bus from DIA to Stapleton. The $9 bus fee she says is well worth the convenience of avoiding the airport hassle.
Some travelers are taking free shuttles to outlying DIA parking lots and being picked up by friends and family out there.
Aloft Hotel has free shuttles to and from the airport and will allow travelers to leave their cars there for a daily fee.
Construction on the east side of the airport is still a year away, although officials fear if too many travelers opt for the trick of only using the east side it will become as busy if not busier than the west side.
Some hotels offer 14 free days of parking for a one night's stay. Those who pay $89 for a room at the Best Western in essence are paying just around $6 a day for parking.
Airport officials say drivers must slow down during the construction phase because the area is narrow and congested.
