Officials at South Bend International Airport broke ground Wednesday on a nearly $20 million project aimed at improving passenger safety, traffic flow, and overall convenience at the airport.
The project, called SBN UpFront, is expected to take about a year and a half to complete and comes as the airport continues to see record passenger growth.

Plans include the addition of a new transportation lane dedicated to taxis, rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, and shuttle vehicles to help reduce congestion along the terminal’s front drive. Raised crosswalks and a median divider will also be added to improve pedestrian safety and traffic flow.
The project will also feature new canopies covering two lanes of the front drive to provide protection from rain and snow during passenger drop-offs and pick-ups. Airport officials say the terminal façade will also receive aesthetic upgrades.

Airport CEO and Executive Director Mike Daigle said the improvements are designed to enhance the passenger experience as traffic at the airport continues to grow.

South Bend International Airport is also the first airport in Indiana to use the Build-Operate-Transfer, or BOT, model for the project. The public-private partnership approach is intended to streamline design, engineering, and construction while reducing costs and improving efficiency.
Project partners include GM Development, The Hagerman Group, BF&S Civil Engineers, JQOL, Abonmarche, C&E Excavating, and the State of Indiana.

Construction is expected to be completed by August 2027.