Sacramento International Airport has a lot going on. Here’s what travelers will see
Sacramento International Airport is growing — literally.
The airport is building new amenities inside and outside both terminals to accommodate a growing number of travelers, according to county officials. In 2025, the airport served nearly 14 million travelers, an increase of about 2% from the previous year.
As part of its four-year, estimated $1.38 billion capital project, SMForward, the airport has several ongoing initiatives that will be noticeable to passengers and, in some cases, passersby. Travelers can also expect new restaurants and technology designed to make airport stays more efficient and enjoyable.
Here’s what passengers can expect to see this summer when traveling through Sacramento International Airport, and which developments are still under construction.
Parking and driving
One of the biggest and most visible construction projects is the airport’s second parking garage. Construction began in 2024, and officials expect the additional 5,500 parking spaces to open by October, airport spokesperson Lindsay Myers said Wednesday.
The six-story garage, costing about $290 million, is west of Concourse B and is visible from inside the building. On Wednesday, workers were moving throughout the structure and completing final construction.
The project was initially estimated to cost about $390 million, or just under $70,700 per parking space. The current estimate is about $52,600 per space, according to numbers provided by the airport. Myers said the main reason the project came in under budget is that Otto Construction’s bid was $229 million.
A few panels of the $1.75 million art project that will surround three sides of the garage have been installed. The project, created by interdisciplinary artist Paul Ramírez Jonas, will depict a landscape scene of mountains and fields using perforated steel.
Within the existing parking garage, the airport has installed and is calibrating a parking guidance system that directs drivers to available spaces using digital arrows mounted on the ceiling. The system also identifies the number of open spaces, information that is available on the home page of the airport’s website. The installation began earlier this year and wrapped up about a month ago.
The airport also installed software to monitor the Terminal A arrival and departure curbs. Workers receive a notification if a vehicle is lingering too long, allowing them to quickly address traffic flow before moving on to other tasks, Myers said. The airport expects to expand the system to Terminal B.
Metal bollards have also been installed on the ground floor of Terminal A.
Pedestrian walkway
Travelers using Terminal B must use the automated people mover to travel from check-in to the gates. As the tram moves along its track, riders can see the new pedestrian walkway, now 81% complete, that will soon provide another path between the two locations.
The walkway is about a quarter-mile long and will feature moving sidewalks, escalators and a central hub where the airport may eventually build a third concourse, Myers said Wednesday.
Construction on the $140 million walkway is ongoing, though crews recently discovered a concrete slab and buried utilities that were not shown on the original construction documents. In May, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved an additional $10 million for the architectural and engineering contract supporting the walkway and Concourse B expansion projects.
Myers said the airport still hopes to open the walkway by the end of the year.
“That could change if there are any delays,” Myers said, “but that’s the goal.”
Restaurants
Travelers looking for meals from Capital Region restaurants will have plenty of options following the recent openings of multiple local eateries along with at least one fast-food chain.
Currently in the soft-opening phase, with hours that may be limited because of staffing, are Temple Coffee, Café Bernardo, Nixtaco and Bawk! by Urban Roots, a chicken restaurant. Other restaurants offering local flavors include Magpie, Centro Cocina Mexicana, New Helvetia, West Coast Sourdough Deli and Sidewalk Juice.
Another eatery to open within the past month in Terminal B is Local Flights, Brews and Bites, the airport’s only full-service pre-security restaurant. Other pre-security options include Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters in Terminal B and Starbucks in Terminal A.
Two Wendy’s locations are open, one in each concourse.
Other restaurants still under construction include Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen & Bar, OneSpeed Pizza and another Starbucks. The Concourse A Bambuza location is expected to open in late July, and the Concourse B location is expected to open in late August. The other two, located in Concourse A, will open in early July, Myers said.
Next projects
Some planned projects that have not yet begun will not affect summer travelers at Sacramento International Airport. These include:
• The Federal Aviation Administration plans to replace the air traffic control tower, built in 1967, with a new tower north of Concourse B by 2030, according to a June county news release. Construction timelines are still being finalized, but work is projected to begin next summer.
• The Concourse B expansion is scheduled for site preparation before the end of the year and a groundbreaking in early 2027, Myers said. The project will have a net increase of six gates by relocating two gates to the east side and adding six new gates on the west side. As of Wednesday, the airport was working with the FAA to determine whether the design must be adjusted to avoid obstructing sight lines from the tower to the taxiway.
• Construction of the ground transportation center, featuring a new exit and a hub for the shuttle system, has been placed on hold.
• A new exit road from Terminal A is expected to begin construction this year, according to the SMForward webpage.
• The consolidated rental car center, which will relocate rental car facilities to the terminal area, will not begin construction until 2027. It is expected to be completed in 2030.
• Two new baggage carousels, initially approved by the Board of Supervisors, are no longer expected to be built because of declining checked baggage demand. Southwest, which accounts for about 60% of the airport’s passengers, has seen a 70% reduction in checked bags, Myers said. She said the change is likely tied to the elimination of the airline’s free checked bag policy last year.
“There is still space and infrastructure for those carousels in the future, but we will not be building them at this time,” Myers said.
The last major overhaul of the airport, completed in 2011, replaced the previous terminal and significantly upgraded passenger facilities. The Sacramento Bee reported at the time that the “Big Build” cost $1.1 billion.
