Travelers passing through Denver International Airport this week will find a sleek new security checkpoint to usher them to their next destination.
At 3 a.m. Tuesday, the East Security Checkpoint will open on the north end of the upper level of DIA’s terminal, with 17 lanes featuring state-of-the-art screening equipment. Mirroring the West checkpoint that opened early last year, the East screening area’s completion brings the final major security shift of the terminal renovation project.
“Denver is already one of the biggest airports in the world,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston during a Monday morning media tour of the new screening area. “It is already one of the most beautiful airports in the world. Now, it will be one of the easiest airports in the world. Today is a critical step forward in us making sure that the customer experience of getting through security goes that much faster.”
The checkpoint, which kicks off the completion phase of the airport’s $2.1 billion Great Hall Program, is located on Level 6 in the northeast corner of the terminal, beside Southwest Airlines’ ticketing and check-in areas.
The West Security Checkpoint across the atrium is next to United Airlines’ check-in areas. The new screening lanes are designed to move passengers more quickly in a bid to alleviate sometimes-lengthy wait times in serpentine security lines. According to DIA CEO Phil Washington, the opening of the West checkpoint improved wait times by 19%.
“It’s greatly improved the efficiency of our screening process,” Washington said. “Customer satisfaction survey results have increased.”
With the East checkpoint’s opening this week, the South checkpoint on the lower level will no longer be operational, Washington said. Officials plan to leave the screening equipment in place through Labor Day weekend, in case it’s needed — and the current auxiliary South PreCheck lanes may also open at times as relief, through Sept. 2.
But the main screening will now all happen upstairs, with the East and West checkpoints open the same hours. Both will handle PreCheck and Clear members, too. Only the West checkpoint is available for reservations under the DEN Reserve program.
Starting Tuesday, the A-Bridge walkway between the terminal and Concourse A will officially open once again for both arriving and departing passengers, allowing travelers to make their way to A on foot if they choose — but only after they pass through the East or West checkpoint.
The train is still an option for those who can’t resist the twangy reminder to “Hold on, please.”
Denver International Airport (DEN) held a media tour and ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of the new East Security Checkpoint on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. The checkpoint will not officially open until 3 a.m. on August 5. pic.twitter.com/mrJmCoqBvy
— RJ Sangosti (@RJSangosti) August 4, 2025
How new checkpoint works
On Monday, Transportation Security Administration agents stood at their posts in the pristine, people-free screening area. They showed off new equipment that they assured would make the lines go faster.
When passengers step forward, facial recognition technology will scan a photo taken on the spot of their faces, matching it with their photo ID — though there’s an option to opt out of that, if preferred. According to the TSA, the photos are deleted after verification.
Then, similar to the West checkpoint, it’s on to large bins to dump bags, backpacks and other belongings. The stations are automated, meaning that flyers won’t need to stand beside their stuff and push it along, or wait for a slower-moving person in front of them to finish. They’ll just push the bin onto a conveyor system, which keeps it moving.
New federal policies mean travelers won’t have to take off their shoes or pull out their laptops, the TSA said.
Any bags or items that require further TSA attention are automatically diverted along the conveyor belt, allowing other travelers’ belongings to keep moving through the screening process without causing a backlog.
Like the West checkpoint, each of the 17 new East lanes features three stations for loading and unloading, greatly increasing the pace at which people move through, Johnston said.
Other security changes on tap
The airport is preparing to accommodate 100 million annual passengers in the next few years, Washington said. By 2045, DIA anticipates surpassing 120 million annual passengers. Last year, DIA was the third-busiest U.S. airport in terms of passenger traffic, and sixth-busiest in the world, according to Airports Council International.
“This is not only the most important economic driver in Denver — it’s the most important economic driver in the state,” Johnston said. “It’s one of the most important economic drivers between Chicago and California. This is the place that drives revenue for every business in the city and state.”
The improved security checkpoints were designed with a growing number of passengers in mind, Washington said.
The East security construction budget is $252 million, according to DIA spokesperson Michael Konopasek. The checkpoint opened $10 million under budget, he said.
The entire Great Hall Program — a yearslong, $2.1 billion terminal renovation project — is scheduled for completion at the end of 2027. The project, which kicked off in 2018, has withstood delays, a major contractor breakup, and the addition of scope and costs.
Other recent changes include moving some airlines’ check-in counters down to Level 5 temporarily to make room for renovation work on the south ends of Level 6.
The next security hallmark will be the opening of eight new standard security lanes on the north end of Level 5 in summer 2026; they will be geared specifically for international travelers connecting through DIA after they exit customs nearby.
And four screening lanes are planned later for the revamped south end of Level 5 — which will be remade into a space called “the Living Room” — to serve passengers arriving from the airport’s on-site hotel and the A-Line train from the city.
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter.