Austin airport breaks ground on new parking garage to keep up with growing demand

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport broke ground on a new parking garage. 

It will be removing a smaller one to keep up with growing demand and make room for an expanded terminal. 

ABIA says they currently have 18,010 parking spaces. There are 5,727 spaces in the Blue Garage, and 3,241 in the Red Garage. 

When the Yellow Garage is done, along with the new surface lots, there will be about 2,000 additional parking spaces.

New Yellow Garage at ABIA

What we know:

The new Yellow Garage will be seven floors and sit on what's currently Economy Lot B. It will have about 7,000 parking spaces. It's expected to be completed in 2027.

"It's Texas-sized, is 2.5 million square feet, spread across seven floors with a thousand spaces per floor," Cris Ruebush, architect with PGAL, said.

The Yellow Garage will be north of the Blue Garage. It will have red and green lights showing which spaces are open, EV charging stations, and a pedestrian bridge. 

The Red Garage is going to be removed in the coming years as the airport expands the Barbara Jordan terminal with a new arrivals and departures hall, which could open as early as 2030.

"This milestone marks another significant step in our journey with the AUS expansion program, ensuring that AUS continues to grow and meets the needs of our travelers," Ghizlane Badawi, CEO of ABIA, said.

By the numbers:

City Council approved $15 million for its design and $250 million for construction. It's funded through airport cash reserves, airport revenues, and future bond proceeds.

"It's paid for by the travelers who use the airport, not local taxpayers," Watson said.

The garage will be built in phases, with the goal of finishing 3,000 spaces by 2026 to minimize the impact of construction. The airport is adding another surface lot.

"Any time we're taking something away from the customer experience, we're working behind the scenes to make sure that it's whole again," Sam Haynes, deputy chief communications officer for ABIA, said.

You can always reserve parking online here.

The city says they will make sure people know about the changes during construction. 

Austin airport's growth

What they're saying:

Austin has millions of visitors each year, and the airport has seen record-breaking passenger numbers.

"With that growth comes a significant responsibility. That responsibility is to ensure that our infrastructure keeps pace with the needs of our residents and our visitors," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said.