A new on-airport roadway offers drivers faster, direct access to San Diego International Airport.
Designed with no intersections or traffic lights, the new three-lane roadway provides an uninterrupted, high-capacity route directly to the airport’s Terminals 1 and 2.
“We are thrilled to open this new entrance roadway to the airport,” said Kimberly Becker, CEO and President of San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. “The on-airport roadway is a component of our new Terminal 1 redevelopment project, with the first phase opening this September. This is a significant milestone in our commitment to enhancing the passenger experience and making travel to SAN more efficient.”
The entrance to the new on-airport roadway is on North Harbor Drive just west of the intersection with West Laurel Street. Vehicles on West Laurel Street headed toward the airport should bear to the right and will merge directly with the on-airport roadway.
Vehicles bearing right to access the on-airport roadway will no longer have the option to merge onto North Harbor Drive. To access westbound North Harbor Drive, stay to the left on West Laurel Street and then turn right at the intersection with North Harbor Drive.
Westbound drivers on North Harbor Drive (coming from downtown) should be aware that the entrance comes up significantly earlier than the current airport entrance.
Directional signs are placed along both North Harbor Drive and West Laurel Street to help drivers navigate to the new entrance:
- From North Harbor Drive (westbound): A large overhead sign will direct drivers to bear right to enter the new airport entrance, just west of Laurel Street, with an additional small sign placed before the merge to direct drivers into the right lane.
- From West Laurel Street: An overhead sign will guide drivers to continue straight to access the airport via the new roadway, or to bear left heading to North Harbor Drive.
From the entrance, the roadway stretches approximately one mile to Terminal 1 departure and arrival drop-off points and parking facilities.
The new roadway is expected to divert 45,000 vehicles per day from North Harbor Drive, improving traffic flow for both airport and local commuters.
For drivers on westbound North Harbor Drive who miss the entrance to the new on-airport roadway, they will still be able to access Terminal 1 via Harbor Island Drive; and Terminal 2 via Spanish Landing.
The entrances for drivers on eastbound North Harbor Drive (coming from Pt. Loma) will not change: Spanish Landing for Terminal 2 and Harbor Island Drive for Terminal 1.
For an aerial map showing the airport campus and full length and layout of the new on-airport roadway and access routes, click here. For a close-up view of the on-airport roadway entrance from West Laurel Street and North Harbor Drive, click here. An animation illustrating the new route can be found here.
