What’s on the table for the future of Peña Boulevard?

DENVER (KDVR) — It is the site of 200 car crashes a year and countless backups that can make you late for your airplane. But that could all change if developers decide on one of several plans to expand Peña Boulevard.

The road is the lifeline in and out of one of the busiest airports in the country and on the planet: Denver International Airport. Planners are looking at options to expand that route for neighboring communities and the 130,000 vehicles that travel it each day.

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When Federico Peña was mayor of Denver, DIA was just an idea in his imagination for the city’s future. In 2023, it served 77 million passengers.

“Our airport was originally designed for 50 million passengers,” said Lisa Nguyen, the transportation planner at DIA.

She said Peña Boulevard could soon see an upgrade, and not just for passengers.

“There’s a lot of employees,” Nguyen said. “We have 40,000 employees at Denver International Airport.”

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How do you get that many people, and the millions of travelers, in and out of the airport?

Airport officials are considering all options — possibilities like a carpool lane, dynamic tolling or a bus-only lane, Nguyen said.

These — and possibly no changes at all — are part of the Peña Boulevard master plan. Public input has been offered since 2022, and the public can still give opinions online.

The plan still has one more phase: the federal environmental portion, which takes two to three years, and then planners would find a way to pay for whichever project is approved.

“If we’re not doing anything, probably won’t take as long,” Nguyen said. “But of course, if we do some more thorough construction, it could anywhere from maybe five to 10 years.”

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Planners are paving a new path for easier travel down Peña Boulevard.

“We’re certainly considering sustainable transportation,” Nguyen said.

Part of that Peña Boulevard plan could guarantee a ride home in the event of an emergency for airport employees who take public transit.

Another idea is priority security lines for anyone who gets to the airport via public transit.

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