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Sacramento International Airport travelers will be able to access the new six-story parking garage starting one week before the holiday season, according to an update on the more than $1.4 billion capital project at the facility.
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The more than 5,500-space garage is set to open Nov. 19, exactly one week before Thanksgiving, Sacramento County Department of Airports spokesperson Lindsay Myers said.
Only about three floors will be open the first day due to a grand opening event occurring on the other floors, Myers said. All spaces will be available the following day.
The airport department provided a quarterly update earlier this week to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on the capital project, called SMForward, that includes the garage. The project also involves the creation of a pedestrian walkway between check-in and gates for Terminal B, an expansion of Concourse B, a consolidated ground transportation center and a new rental car facility.
Terminal B parking garage
The garage is the SMForward project closest to completion — 89% — and the second closest is the pedestrian walkway at 85%.
When the garage opens, parking rates will increase at all the airport’s daily lots, economy lots and garages. The rates, which were approved in September by the board, will go from $21 to $28 for garage parking, $14 to $19 for daily lots and $12 to $14 for economy lots.
In the request for this one-time rate hike, the airports department said the additional parking revenue would help pay for the new parking amenities like the garage, which cost about $290 million, and the $5.3 million parking guidance system.
Likely before Christmas, the airport will launch its Park SMF mobile app, Myers said. Travelers will be able to check how many spaces are available on each floor of a parking garage and where they parked.
Three sides of the parking garage will be covered in a steel-panel art piece that depicts a mountainous landscape and blown-up produce. The perforated panels will also feature names of airport employees.
Pedestrian walkway
An automated people mover currently connects travelers from the check-in area to gates. Starting next year, people will be able to move between those locations in the $140 million walkway.
The connector, which will eventually replace the tram, is a quarter-mile long and will feature moving sidewalks and escalators. Included in the design is a central hub, where the airport may build a third concourse, Myers said.
Myers said in June that construction was expected to wrap up before the end of the year, but some delays pushed the estimate into early 2027. Two of the larger setbacks were addressing mold caused by water from last winter and replacing some of the large glass panels on the side of the walkway, which had been damaged by welding work.
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Terminal A exit road
Construction began a few weeks ago for a new exit road out of Terminal A, Myers said.
So far, crews have begun prep work for the new route. The county estimates that construction will wrap up in the last few months of 2027, according to the Board of Supervisors presentation.
It is not a very visible or flashy project, Myers said. However, the new route is essential to eventually building the $485 million consolidated rental car center.
Construction for the rental car facility is scheduled to begin early 2028 and end in late 2030, though a contractor has not been selected.
Estimated timing on the consolidated ground transportation center, which has a budget of $50 million, had not yet been determined.
Concourse B expansion
A final design has not yet been completed for the Concourse B expansion, which aims to add six more gates.
The airports department is waiting for approval of construction permits and estimates that construction will begin later this year, Myers said. It’s not clear when work will be finished.
In order to prepare for construction, two temporary gates — B2 and B3 — were set up.
The final restaurant
Although not part of SMFoward, the airport’s recent restaurant refresh coincided with the capital project.
Local eateries such as Bawk by Urban Roots, Magpie and OneSpeed Pizza have moved into spaces — some vacant and others previously occupied by other businesses — over the past year. This overhaul was unanimously approved in 2024 by the Board of Supervisors.
Next month, the final restaurant included in this revamp will open, Myers said.
Midtown Spirits, a local distillery with a snack-and-sandwich based menu, will open in Terminal B as early as Nov. 15 and as late as Nov. 21. The restaurant will take the spot of Cafeteria 15L.
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This story was originally published October 26, 2026 at 9:47 AM.