Driving to San Diego airport in 2026: the new entrance road and the construction around it
From downtown, bear right onto the airport's new three-lane entrance road just west of Laurel Street: no traffic lights, straight to Terminal 1. Pacific Highway has daytime lane work and Grape Street night work through fall 2027.
- New entrance
- Harbor Dr at Laurel St
- Vehicles diverted
- 45,000/day
- Roadwork
- To fall 2027
- Cell phone lot
- Free
Bear right
Off North Harbor Dr
Pacific Hwy, Grape St, Palm St
1-hour limit
The short version
- A new three-lane entrance road, opened with the new Terminal 1 in September 2025, starts on North Harbor Drive just west of West Laurel Street
- It has no intersections or signals and is expected to take 45,000 vehicles a day off North Harbor Drive
- Pacific Highway work runs weekdays 7am–4pm and Grape Street work Sunday–Thursday 11pm–5am, from August 17, 2026 through fall 2027
- Palm Street work starts in January 2027
- The free cell phone lot is at 2311 McCain Road, with a one-hour limit
Getting to San Diego International Airport changed in September 2025, when the first phase of the new Terminal 1 opened along with a new entrance road. It's a three-lane road with no intersections or traffic lights that runs about a mile from North Harbor Drive to Terminal 1's drop-off, pick-up and parking. The airport expects it to take 45,000 vehicles a day off North Harbor Drive.
Getting in
Waiting
Construction (through fall 2027)
Entrance and terminal locations from the airport's September 2025 release; construction pins are approximate because the airport hasn't published exact limits. Check san.org before you go.
See these on the full San Diego mapUsing the new road
From downtown or I-5
- 01
On West Laurel Street: keep right
Overhead signs say continue straight for the airport. Bearing right puts you on the new road; you can't merge back onto Harbor Drive from it.
- 02
On westbound North Harbor Drive: right lane
A large overhead sign marks the turn, with a smaller one before the merge. It comes well before the old airport entrances.
- 03
Missed it?
Stay on North Harbor Drive. Turn at Harbor Island Drive for Terminal 1, or at Spanish Landing for Terminal 2.
- 04
Coming from Point Loma (eastbound)
Nothing changed: Spanish Landing for Terminal 2, Harbor Island Drive for Terminal 1.
The roadwork, and when to avoid it
On August 17, 2026 the airport started a multi-phase project to rebuild the streets that feed it: Grape Street, Pacific Highway and, from January 2027, Palm Street. It covers repaving, new signals, railroad crossing upgrades, separated bike lanes and added lanes, and is due to finish in fall 2027. Expect lane closures and shifts. Access to the airport stays open.
Airport-area roadwork schedule
| Street | Work hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Highway | Mon–Fri, 7am–4pm | Daytime lane closures and shifts |
| Grape Street | Sun–Thu, 11pm–5am | Night work; some parking removed permanently. KPBS reports Grape goes from 3 lanes to 4 |
| Palm Street | From January 2027 | Hours to be announced |
Source: San Diego County Regional Airport Authority release, August 17, 2026.
How getting to the airport is changing
Busy times at the curb
For Thanksgiving week 2025, the airport's busiest curbside hours were 4 to 6:15am, 9:30am to 12:30pm and 8pm to midnight, with up to 80,000 passengers a day, as Axios reported. Expect a similar shape this year: Thanksgiving is November 26. Picking someone up? The free cell phone lot at 2311 McCain Road lets you wait up to an hour.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority · September 2, 2025
- PrimaryNew T1 fact sheet
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority · September 2, 2025
Gate counts and phases
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority · August 17, 2026
- PrimaryCell phone lot
San Diego International Airport · Checked October 19, 2026
KPBS · August 18, 2026
Axios San Diego · November 25, 2025