By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The board that oversees Washington Dulles airport voted on Wednesday to approve a $19.9 billion overhaul plan that includes $3.75 billion to build new underground tunnels to replace slow vehicles that transport passengers across the tarmac.
The $6.2 billion reconstruction of the main terminal at the primary international airport serving the Washington D.C. region is set to begin in late 2027, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said.
The
new tunnels and automated passenger transportation system and a new concourse are expected to be completed by 2034, as will renovations to the main terminal.
The cost to airlines for boarding passengers is set to rise to between $60 and $65 by about 2038, the authority said, up from $13 currently. The increase is to cover $1.1 billion of the costs of the new tunnels and automated transit system.
President Donald Trump announced the $22 billion plan last month, including a massive parking garage and transportation center that were not included in the $19.9 billion proposal approved on Wednesday.
The latest in a series of major Trump projects in and around the U.S. capital includes 5 million square feet of new or renovated airport space. It is one of the largest U.S. airport overhauls ever proposed and will be funded largely through $14.2 billion in new municipal bonds.
The airport authority had already approved $4.4 billion of the total.
Dulles was the fastest-growing large U.S. airport last year, with passenger numbers rising 6.4% to 29 million. This fall, it will gain a new 14-gate concourse serving United Airlines customers.
United accounts for about 70% of passenger traffic at Dulles.
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Chizu Nomiyama and David Goodman)
