HOUSTON — Travelers said construction and Spring Break are causing some heavy traffic at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
To play it safe and make sure you can catch your flight on time, airport officials suggest travelers with international flights arrive four hours before their departing flight and domestic travelers arrive three hours early.
One traveler stuck in a traffic jam at Bush Airport had to leave his car service behind just to catch his departing flight.
But he’s not the only one dealing with this headache. Rideshare drivers like Jesus Esquivel tell us they deal with this every day.
"At night it’s almost impossible. It's killing us because it takes 45 mins to get to the passenger," said Esquivel.
Airport officials say construction workers have reduced lanes and merged traffic to build the new international terminal. This is causing the traffic headache at the airport.
"We are seeing a lot of roadway congestion specifically for terminals C, D & E," said Agusto Bernal the Public Information Officer for the Houston Airports.
And with 1.7 million passengers flying out of Bush and Hobby these two weeks, they say you can also expect parking garages to be full.
As of Monday, Bush Airport tweeted parking garages reached capacity.
"Our biggest recommendation is to reserve your spot online to guarantee a spot in terminal garages or Eco lots," said Bernal.
The bottom line is if you’re being dropped off or picked up, be patient.
"That time I went to pick up someone, they had two hours waiting already. A lot of drivers canceled their trips because it was almost impossible to get to their terminal," said Esquivel.
Airport officials say if you’re picking up a passenger, wait outside the terminals in those cell phone lots to avoid more congestion. They want to make sure the pickup areas are designated loading zones only.
The construction at Bush Airport is expected to be completed by 2024.