Watch Out: San Diego Airport Terminal 1 Construction Detours Ahead

If you’re headed to the airport or picking someone up, there will be some construction impacts at San Diego International Airport beginning Saturday, July 30, at 6 p.m. and ending on Sunday, July 31, at 6 a.m.

Some lane closures at the intersection at Harbor Drive and Harbor Island Drive will impact traffic accessing Terminal 1: 

• If traveling eastbound on Harbor Drive, proceed past Terminal 1 and make a U-turn at Winship Lane to access Terminal 1.  
• If traveling northbound from Harbor Island Drive, make a right onto Harbor Drive going eastbound and perform a U-turn at Winship Lane to access Terminal 1.  
• For drivers exiting Terminal 1 who wish to circle around and re-access the terminal roadway, turn left onto Harbor Drive going eastbound and perform a U-turn at Winship Lane to access Terminal 1 again.
• Pedestrians walking from Harbor Island to Terminal 1 will need to walk eastbound along Harbor Drive and cross at Liberator Way, then walk westbound to Terminal 1. 
• MTS 923 bus riders will not be able to walk to or from Terminal 1 however, they will have access to walk to and from Harbor Island during this time. MTS 992 route will continue to pick up and drop off in front of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.    

Parking at the airport is extremely limited at this time. Below are suggested options for SAN passengers:  

• Use public transit to the airport. There are more ways than ever to get to and from the airport on public transit. Try the free San Diego Flyer shuttle, a convenient last-mile connection between the Old Town Transit Center and the airport. MTS is also offering free rides on the 992 bus from the airport to downtown through Labor Day. 
• Get dropped off /picked up. Have friends or family drop off or pick up. Taxi, Lyft, Uber, or other rideshare options are also good alternatives. 
• If parking at SAN, make parking reservations ahead of time. Reservations can be made for the Terminal 2 Parking Plaza or valet. If parking in the Terminal 2 Parking Plaza but flying from Terminal 1, passengers can ride the Terminal Loop Shuttle which transports passengers between the two terminals in an efficient manner. Reservations can be made at san.org/parking. The New T1 Parking Plaza is expected to open fall of 2024. 

This construction is an important part of SAN’s New T1 project that will replace the current Terminal 1 with a modern and efficient facility that will improve the airport experience and complete the transformation of San Diego’s air transportation gateway. The first phase of the New T1 project is set to be completed in 2025 with the project’s full completion anticipated in late 2028.