ORLANDO, Fla. – Construction is underway at Orlando International Airport, where a new people mover will begin transporting passengers from a south station by next year.
"The terminal was originally built for 24 million, and now we're at 40 (million)," said Brad Friel, director of planning at OIA.
It's a $3 billion plan to expand, spreading all of those travelers out from the current north end of the airport, to a new south end.
Starting next month, passengers will start to see major reconstruction in the north end, as walls are knocked down for extended ticket halls and added kiosks.
The south end will house the automated people mover, a new parking garage and tracks for both All Aboard Florida and SunRail.
"Going back 20, 30 years we've always planned for rail to come to the airport. It's been in all of our master plans," said Friel.
SunRail passengers will eventually ride in from the south and take a three-minute ride to their terminal on the new automated people mover.
"Very similar to what people (do) when they go from the land site out to an air site to catch a plane today. It's essentially the same type of train system, so the experience will be very similar," said Friel.
The people mover will start transporting passengers by 2017.
Construction plans are set on a new terminal on the south end of OIA, scheduled to open in 2019.