Skywalk set at Sioux Falls Regional Airport

The Sioux Falls Regional Airport looks a little different now. 

Construction crews installed the 85-foot skywalk over Jaycee Ln. between the new parking ramp and new terminal entrance. Airport officials have been urging travelers to give themselves plenty of extra time because of the delays caused by construction and the closure of Jaycee Ln. 

Before 9 a.m. Thursday, crews had the skywalk set but Jaycee Ln. was going to remain closed until 6 p.m. Thursday. A detour through the new parking garage has been set up. For frequent fliers, having a skywalk to connect the new parking ramp to the airport will be beneficial.

“We fly in and out of Grand Rapids a lot as well. And they have a very similar skywalk and very similar parking ramp. So it’s been, it’s obviously really nice to leave your car there,” flier John Van Peursem said.

“With the way that climate is around here, especially in the wintertime, it’s going to give the visitors to Sioux Falls and the people flying out a lot more comfort to have their car inside. They won’t have to scrape ice or snow, and plus they’re going to be able to walk inside right to their the gate. So I think it’s gonna be really good,” flier Ned Hodgson said.

While the construction looked confusing, many people say getting into the airport was easy.

“You’re going to have to leave like 20-30 minutes earlier, you know, unless you’re going to self-park. But if you take an Uber or whatever, they pull up, they still have the drop off lanes, everything is directed so you know right where to go,” flier Steven Sundet said.

“You know, actually, it was pretty easy. The gentleman out front kind of directing me to where I needed to go. I thought I’d be parking further down the lot, but I have a close spot, so it’s pretty painless so far,” Hodgson said.

A minor inconvenience, for a major upgrade to the Sioux Falls Airport.

“It’s amazing how Sioux Falls is growing. Living here my whole life, seeing this whole airport just like expand and grow up– we are totally growing into an major city now,” Sundet said.

Construction crews continue to make progress on the four-story, $63 million parking ramp, which will include 975 parking spaces and a skywalk connection to the airport terminal. Construction started in April 2023 and the completion date is expected to come in the fall months. 

In 2023, the airport saw a record amount of passengers with more than 1.13 million people flying in and out of Sioux Falls. View the story on KELOLAND.