Airport officials said they will save at least $20 million by letting the Regional Transportation District build a basic bridge instead.

“From the day we announced the South Terminal Redevelopment Program we’ve pledged only to move forward with projects that make good financial sense,” said Kim Day, Manager of Aviation at Denver International Airport. “Mr. Calatrava designed a stunning gateway element that would’ve been the envy of other cities and airports around the world. However, our first and foremost responsibility is to maintain the fiscal strength of this airport, and investing $20 million in this structure is just not the best use of our capital.”

The airport estimated the cost for building the signature bridge would have been $22 million. RTD identified $1.4 million as their cost for a standard elevated rail bridge crossing Peña Boulevard. This would have represented their contribution toward DIA’s signature bridge.

“We worked over the past few months with our design team and RTD to reconcile costs and their contribution for the bridge,” Day said. “At the end of the day, this was simply not a sufficient offset for us to pursue building the bridge.”

Recently, DIA leadership announced the development of a 10-year financial strategy for the airport that includes a $500 million budget for the South Terminal Redevelopment Program and an additional $500 million for other capital improvement projects over the next five years.

“One of our top strategic priorities is the development of new revenue sources at the airport,” said Patrick Heck, Chief Financial Officer for Denver International Airport. “While our South Terminal Redevelopment Program has revenue-generating projects built in, such as a terminal hotel and new concession space, the signature bridge will not generate any revenue for the airport. This is indicative of the airport’s commitment to reduce spending and make prudent financial decisions.”

The South Terminal Redevelopment Program includes the construction of a train station to connect the airport to downtown Denver, a public plaza and a 500-room Westin hotel and conference center connected to Jeppesen Terminal.

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