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Massive $1.8B project at Denver International Airport could increase your airfare

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DENVER — A marathon city council meeting that culminated in the passage of a $1.8 billion deal that will shape the future of the Denver International Airport for decades won't be passed off to taxpayers, but may ding those who fly out of the busy airport. 

According to DIA officials, carriers that fly into and out of DIA will be charged $1 per passenger to pay for the project. Those carriers will have the option to pass that price onto passengers, or absorb the cost.

Details on the massive project, that has 30 years of maintenance built into the price tag, are still being hammered out. Those details include the addition of rail cars to the underground rail system and the positioning of a TSA staffing checkpoint. 

"What are some of the other things we can do to alleviate that concern? Do we move group check in to a certain area? Do we move premium passenger check in to a certain area?" Stacey Stegman, DIA's vice president, said. "The models we're running are working."

Stegman said Tuesday that changes could carry a price tag, and part of the $1.8 billion project sum includes a massive $120 million contingency budget. 
 
"Knowing that things are going to change in the design project. So we have that flexibility," she said.
 
Such a pricey project will take time to construct, but may be implemented sooner than some think. Stegman said the project, including new retail and restaurants, is expected to be completed by 2021.