Airport officials marked the start of the parking expansion with a groundbreaking on Wednesday.
So why all the fuss over parking spaces?
Airport president Eric Frankl says visitors who have had to park in the grass will understand.
"For the folks that have come out... we want them to have a good experience and for them to park in the grass and figuring out how to get a shuttle, get to the terminal, that's not what we that's not what we want," he says. "So we're really happy to be able to do this and it can't come soon enough. It's going to take us a year, so we won't have it for this summer, but we really look forward to having it for next summer for our passengers."
The airport will be reconfiguring part of the Terminal Drive loop, adding 815 new long-term spots, and constructing a second covered parkway and additional exit lane — along with other changes.
"Lexington's growing as a population. Central Kentucky is growing, and the needs of the airport are growing too," Lexington State Senator Amanda Mays Bledsoe says. "So as more people move in and want to do business and grow their own business here in Lexington, they need opportunities to travel and export. So the airport's growing immensely. And with that, you need more space for passengers to go park and drive and get on the airport."
Total passenger volume at Bluegrass has been setting records lately, with the number reaching 1.5 million annually.