Sacramento International Airport is locking in its game plan for a busy 2026, with a slate of big-ticket projects that will be hard for travelers to miss. On deck are a new elevated pedestrian walkway, a six-level parking garage with roughly 5,500 spaces, and the early construction phase of a Concourse B expansion. All of it falls under SMForward, the airport’s multi-year capital program aimed at expanding capacity as passenger traffic climbs. County and airport leaders say the work is meant to ease congestion and improve the overall traveler experience, even if it means a few growing pains along the way.
The SMForward site lays out the scope and timelines for the projects and puts the overall program at about $1.3 billion. Local coverage has been tracking the same schedule. ABC10 highlighted the major 2026 milestones in a January 19 report.
Pedestrian Walkway Nears Opening
The new elevated walkway between Terminal B and Concourse B is set up to give passengers a smoother, weather-protected connection. It is designed with four moving walkways, escalators and ADA-accessible elevators, and is expected to open in summer 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America program. Construction started in late 2024, with a price tag of roughly $140 million that includes $2.5 million dedicated to permanent public art, the Sacramento County Department of Airports said.
Parking Garage Adds Thousands Of Close-In Spaces
Parking is getting a significant upgrade too. A six-level garage west of Terminal B is scheduled to open later in 2026 and will add about 5,500 close-in parking spaces, according to airport officials. Otto Construction announced it received the $229 million design-build contract for the structure, while KCRA reported the project is expected to generate roughly 1,000 construction jobs and help relieve peak-season parking demand.
Concourse Expansion And Baggage Improvements
Beyond parking and the new walkway, SMForward calls for Concourse B to gain additional gates and more ticketing area to support future air-service growth. Major construction work on that expansion is expected to run into 2028. The program also includes phased baggage-handling upgrades across both terminals, set to begin in 2026 and intended to boost reliability and long-term operations, according to SMForward.
Why It Matters For Travelers
All this building is not happening in a vacuum. The construction push follows a stretch of strong passenger traffic at SMF that airport officials regularly point to when making the case for more capacity. mid-2025 passenger records at the airport underscored the pressure on existing facilities and the urgency behind these upgrades…