Major upgrades are on the way for Miami International Airport, with Miami-Dade County officials touting billions in repairs and new construction.
In a news conference Thursday, County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called maintenance at the airport an issue, calling it neglect.
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"Unfortunately, this powerful economic engine has been at the center of decades of neglected maintenance, but no more," she said. "Critical improvements were delayed for decades, and I am turning that around."
Moving walkways haven't been moving, repairs are constant, elevators are shut down — and back in September, MIA's Skytrain, which services Concourse D, was shut down because of cracks in the concrete columns. Levine Cava said 75% of that service should be restored in the spring.
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"I want to be very clear, we are not here because of a few tweaks," she said. "We are not here because of a couple of escalators or elevators, we are here because I have prioritized deferred maintenance since day one.
In the so-called "Modernization in Action" plan, $7 billion is going toward new construction like a hotel and parking garage. $1.7 billion has been earmarked for maintenance itself.
The county revealed plans for new passenger bridges, redeveloped terminals, and a much nicer MIA. Through the plan, 126 passenger loading bridges, 203 public bathrooms, and 616 conveyance units (elevators, escalators and moving walkways) will be renovated in phases over the next 5-7 years.
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Some of the infrastructure is 50 years old and needs to be replaced, not repaired.
Hotel construction is set to be done in 2027.
