Cris Tolomia
Quartz

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority voted Wednesday to approve a $19.9 billion overhaul of Washington Dulles International Airport, the primary international airport serving the Washington, D.C. region, the authority said.

According to CNBC, $3.75 billion of the plan is earmarked for underground tunnels that would do away with the "People Mover" vehicles, which shuttle passengers between the terminal and gates across the tarmac. The tunnels will also extend to a new concourse. Work on the tunnel system is set to begin in early 2029 and is expected to be completed by 2034, the authority said.

Reconstruction of the airport's main terminal, estimated at $6.2 billion, is scheduled to begin in late 2027, the authority said.

New bond issuances will account for roughly $14.2 billion of the total funding, with Passenger Facility Charges — fees paid by travelers using the airport — contributing an additional $1.1 billion and grants covering $200 million, according to UPI.

The work falls under the Revitalizing Washington Dulles International Airport Project, a program that the Department of Transportation set in motion last December, according to UPI. President Donald Trump said at a White House briefing last month that more than 5 million square feet at the airport will be either new or renovated space. He described the airport in its current state as "a terrible place to be." In July, Trump put the project's total estimated price tag at over $20 billion.

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This article was originally published in Quartz.

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