Denver International Airport broke ground in late May on a $1.5-billion gate expansion project that will add 39 new gates by spring 2021, a 30% increase in capacity. The expansion is expected to help DIA meet its growing passenger load, which rose 5.3% last year to nearly 61 million passengers annually. The new gates will be added to the ends of the three existing concourses. The expansion is being managed by two joint ventures: Holder Construction and FCI Constructors Inc. on Concourse B-East and Concourse C-East and Turner Construction and Flatiron Construction on Concourse A-West and Concourse B-West. HNTB Corp. and Jacobs Engineering Group are contracted for architectural and design services on the project.