Photos: What Denver International Airport looked like when it first opened vs. now
Denver International Airport opened to the public in 1995, and it has evolved quite a bit in the nearly 30 years since.
DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver International Airport opened to the public in 1995, and it has evolved in the nearly 30 years since.
These changes have ranged from security checkpoint overhauls in the early 2000s to the installation of the infamous "Blue Mustang" statue in 2008.
DIA did not have a rail line in its first 21 years of operation, as the Regional Transportation District A-Line did not begin operation until April 2016.
A short time before that, the Westin Hotel was opened next to the airport. In addition to these two things, a door leading to the hotel and RTD station was added to the wall behind the south security checkpoint.
Some small decoration changes have also been made. This includes removing some trees to add extra room for security lines and moving the statue of Elrey Jeppesen -- the namesake behind Jeppesen Terminal -- from its previous spot elsewhere in the terminal to where it currently is near the entrance to south security.
Besides the new construction, one of the biggest changes to the south part of the main terminal has been the expansion of security screening in general.
For a few years after the airport opened, security screening at DIA was a smaller operation. However, directly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, things began to change.
As anyone who has visited DIA in the last few years may tell you, the evolution of the airport is nowhere near complete.
The airport is currently in the middle of its "Great Hall Program," which is a major overhaul of the Jeppesen Terminal.
This includes opening a new East Security checkpoint in 2025 to join the West Security checkpoint that opened in early 2024.
The North Security checkpoint was closed permanently after the new checkpoint opened and is now inaccessible due to construction. Additionally, Bridge Security has also closed alongside access to the A-Bridge, though the latter is slated to reopen when the East Security checkpoint is complete.
The full project is planned to be fully finished around 2027, with segments being completed along the way.
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