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DENVER — Denver International Airport is getting ready to close more than 2,000 parking spaces for the next six months. 

Beginning Monday, April 3, about half of the East Economy lot will be off-limits to anyone wishing to park at the airport. During the closure, crews will be performing maintenance work in the lot including paving, curb work and upgrading shuttle shelters. The work will help the facility remain compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

“It’s routine maintenance, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. We do this kind of thing every few years,” airport spokesperson Stephanie Figueroa said. 

However, DEN is serving more passengers now than ever before. In 2022, the airport set a record with more than 69 million passengers. It expects to exceed those numbers in 2023. 

“The reality is, even without the closure a lot of our lots have been filling up,” Figueroa said.

Denver airport parking lots already fill up

“It’s more than frustrating. I was frustrated today just coming to find a parking space. It took me forever,” Jennifer Tuggle said. 

Tuggle said she circled the lots for 15 minutes Friday afternoon before she found a spot in the east side garage. She worries how much more difficult it will be to find a spot to park when there are 2,000 fewer options. 

“It makes me rethink actually using the Denver airport. I might travel to Colorado Springs to go ahead and use that,” Tuggle said. 

Figueroa urges travelers planning to park at DEN to arrive with plenty of time to spare to hunt for a spot. She said it will not be uncommon for airport lots to hit capacity. 

“It’s gonna happen regardless during the busy travel season, and that’s why we recommend that people use other options,” she said. 

Other options include the Pike’s Peak Shuttle Lot, privately owned off-site parking lots and public transportation. 

If there are any vehicles left in the East Economy Lot after the closure, airport staff will move them to a different part of the same parking lot. Passengers who need help locating their vehicle should call (303) 342-4650.