Construction moving quickly on TPA’s new Red Express Curbsides
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Construction is speeding up on the Red Express Curbsides at Tampa International Airport, as the sound of hammers and bulldozers can be heard and seen from Airside E.
“It’s going to be great,” said Senior Construction Manager Dan Seeley. “A seamless transition if you don’t have checked bags. Either arriving or departing, you can get out on the curbside, take a short ride up to the transfer level and get on your flight and go.”
Officials said the curbsides are expected to be open by the summer of 2025. Plus, when Airside D is completed in the future, there will be a terminal station for the airside’s train.
“This is our second phase of our three phase master plan that started back in 2010,” Seeley explained.
The new curbsides will have two levels, with four lanes on each level for arriving and departing passengers — a mirror image of the Blue Express Curbsides right now, which opened a few years ago. These express curbsides are for passengers with no checked bags.
Officials expect this will significantly relieve congestion and hassle for fliers.
“This should split our load on the red side, just like it did on the blue side,” Seeley said. “Where, hopefully, half of our departing passengers are coming over here without checked bags, and it should make our curbside, our current curbsides, much less congested as well.”
The six-year project has about 150 people working on it right now. Once it’s done, the blue and red projects together will cost around $300 million.
“We appreciate the community’s patience while we get this work completed,” Seeley said. “It will be a fantastic project once it’s wrapped up.”
Officials said there should be little impact to fliers from the construction aside from road closures every so often.
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