RDU Starts Early Construction on John Brantley Boulevard Extension

Early construction has begun on the John Brantley Boulevard extension at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the airport authority announced in a Feb. 16, 2026 newsroom post identifying the work as “one of four major projects in the airport’s Transform RDU capital program.” RDU said construction will be completed in phases and that the addition of more lanes to John Brantley Boulevard will improve overall traffic flow around the airport.

The project will realign and widen the horseshoe-shaped John Brantley Boulevard that circles the terminals, expanding portions of the roadway from two lanes to four and reconfiguring the intersection at International Drive between Terminals 1 and 2. Airport renderings show a new bridge at Terminal Two and a redesigned traffic pattern that separates Terminal One and Terminal Two traffic; RDU also plans an expanded Terminal 2 curbside to allow faster, more efficient loading and unloading.

Federal funding has been reported for the widening component: the airport is set to receive $25 million from the federal government to widen John Brantley Boulevard, and the widening will cost around $166 million in total. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced roughly $488 million in BUILD grant awards to 30 projects nationwide as part of a federal infrastructure program; U.S. Sen. Ted Budd said in a social media post that the John Brantley funding was a top priority of North Carolina’s congressional delegation. RDU materials do not yet detail the full funding breakdown by phase, and the airport has been asked to confirm how the federal award fits into the project’s estimated $166 million cost.

The airport’s Feb. 16 statement and project materials emphasize traveler impacts and traffic management: “Construction work has begun and will be completed in phases,” RDU said, and it warned that “in later phases, there will be temporary lane changes and some pick-up and drop-off modifications.” Earlier RDU communications had projected that road construction would start in fall of 2026 with a target “competition date” of sometime in 2030; the authority’s current newsroom post describing early construction appears to advance that timeline, and RDU communications should be asked to clarify which phase has started and which activities - mobilization, utility relocations, site work - are underway.

RDU’s executive vice president and chief development officer Bill Sandifer framed the work as a customer-protection effort while construction proceeds: “Imagine that you want to rebuild your kitchen while you're cooking dinner. That's really what it's like,” Sandifer said. “It's trying to make sure that that we can expand without impacting the customer. And I think we've done it pretty effectively so far.” Project materials also note passengers will likely see new tarping as Terminal Two expansion work proceeds, with the stated goal of doubling that terminal’s passenger capacity.

RDU provided traveler guidance and contact points: look for traffic impact information on the airport’s Transform RDU pages and social media accounts, and contact the airport newsroom at (919) 840-2123 for updates. The work comes as RDU handled 15.5 million travelers in 2024, up 6.5% from 2023, and as the airport is credited with a $24.1 billion annual economic impact by the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division of Aviation. RDU’s newsroom materials frame the effort as a long-term improvement, stating that “by investing in roadway enhancements today, RDU is ensuring a smoother trip for years to come.”