Thursday was a landmark moment for construction on the new Concourse E at Dulles International Airport, as workers placed the final steel beam into the structure, which is expected to open sometime in 2026.
The 435,000-square-foot concourse will feature 14 gates to give the Northern Virginia airport expanded capacity as it gains more and more passengers from the D.C. area. It will be used for United Airlines for both domestic and international flights.
Passengers will have direct access to the new wing from Dulles’ AeroTrain system, providing an easy pathway for international users, officials said.
Construction on the new addition began in March 2023 after plans were announced the year before.
For a sneak peek at what to expect when the new section opens next year, officials released renderings of the new concourse, which show an airy, modern airport terminal with walls of windows and new concession stands.
The concourse is being built to LEED Silver standards for environmental efficiency and sustainability, featuring LED lighting and high-efficiency climate control systems. Even though the future of electric car funding is in question in the U.S. right now, Dulles officials have committed to building an electric vehicle fleet to service aircraft and carry passengers.
Concourse E is expected to open in September 2026 and the airport will then begin the next phase of a widening expansion plan.
Those plans involve eventually tearing down what is today called the C/D concourse, which was supposed to be temporary, but has ended up being open for decades.
