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.
"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.
