Big changes are afoot at RDU airport. Here’s what you can expect
The effort to prolong the life of the main runway at Raleigh-Durham International Airport is only a small part of the construction work going on there now and in the near future.
RDU plans to spend more than $2.5 billion in the coming decade updating and expanding the airport to try to keep up with passenger growth. RDU has been planning the work for years, and much of it is reaching the stage where visitors will begin to notice.
Here’s what’s happening:
New main runway
Contractors have begun moving dirt and stone to build the foundation for RDU’s main runway, 5L/23R. The new runway will parallel the existing one, exactly 537 feet to the northwest. When it opens in 2029, contractors will then begin converting the old runway into a new taxiway, which could take another couple of years. The runway and taxiway together are expected to cost about $1.1 billion.
More remote parking
RDU is gradually tripling the size of its largest remote parking lot, Park Economy 3, off Aviation Parkway. Nearly 1,700 new spaces opened in June, and more will come online in stages until the lot has about 11,000 spaces next summer.
Larger Terminal 2
RDU has begun enlarging its main passenger terminal to add more ticket counters, baggage carousels and security checkpoints and more space for the Customs and Border Protection facility for incoming international passengers. Contractors have begun demolition and will soon erect a temporary wall at the north end of the main ticketing hall, behind which they will build an addition. When the north end is complete, they’ll do the same at the south end.
Realigned John Brantley Boulevard
The main road that circles the airport campus will be widened and realigned to improve traffic flow. The designs are not finished yet, but they will include a bridge or two to separate traffic to and from the two terminals. Construction is expected to begin next year and take four years. It will also likely require RDU to move the Triangle Icon, a large sculpture commemorating Wilbur and Orville Wrights’ first flight at Kitty Hawk.
New rental car facilities
RDU had planned to build a consolidated rental car complex or CONRAC just north of its existing parking deck. But rising costs forced the airport to reconsider. It has hired a team of consultants to come up with options for putting rental car companies within walking distance of both passenger terminals. Their report is due early next year.
New passenger gates
New passengers gates are not coming in the near future. RDU plans to eventually add gates to Terminal 2 by adding wings to the existing concourses, but that can’t happen until the new runway and taxiway are completed. RDU also wants to add more gates to Terminal 1 but doesn’t expect to begin work on those until sometime after 2035.
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Big changes are afoot at RDU airport. Here’s what you can expect."
