Sacramento airport just closed a 700-space parking lot. Where else can you park?

Parking at Sacramento International Airport just got a little trickier.

The airport officially closed its parking lot on the west side of Terminal B at midnight on Monday, according to Scott Johnston, a spokesman for the Sacramento County Department of Airports .

The hourly B parking lot will be replaced by the airport’s new Terminal B parking garage.

Construction on the six-story parking garage — one of several projects that make up the airport’s $1.3 billion SMForward expansion plan — officially kicks off Wednesday.

Here’s what you need to know:

Why did Sacramento International Airport close parking lot?

The hourly B lot has 700 spaces primarily used by drivers picking up and dropping off travelers, according to Johnston.

“We considered it more short-term parking,” he said, noting that the lot was among the more expensive parking options at the airport at $31 per day.

The Terminal B parking garage will occupy roughly the same footprint as the parking lot but accommodate significantly more vehicles with up to 5,500 spaces , Johnston said.

The garage will also feature electric vehicle charging, a parking guidance system and parking reservations, Johnston said, as well as public art pieces .

Otto Construction of Sacramento was awarded the $229 million contract to build the new garage in April, according to previous Bee reporting.

“They have an amazing reputation,” Johnston said of Otto Construction , noting that the company built the airport’s main parking garage between the terminals. “They’re very good at what they do.”

When will construction on new parking garage be completed?

According to Johnston, construction on the Terminal B garage is estimated to take 18 months to two years.

It’s slated to completed by the fall of 2026, he said.

“There’s going to be some dust in the air for a while,” Johnston said.

Where else can I park? How much does parking cost?

Although the hourly B parking lot is no longer available, travelers have other options for short-term parking at the airport , Johnston said.

The daily lot has features a total of 3,000 parking spaces, while the existing parking garage has 5,200 spots.

Both are within walking distance of Terminal A and Terminal B, and charge $2 for every 30 minutes of parking.

If you need more time, the daily lot costs a maximum of $13 a day, while the parking garage costs a maximum of $19 per day.

However, Johnston warned it can be difficult to find a spot in the six-story structure.

“The garage and daily lot are filling up most days because we have such high demand,” Johnson said.

Folks who need to more time to park their cars can use the west economy lot, which has 3,200 parking spaces, or the east economy lot, with 6,000 spaces.

You can park in either economy lot for $11 a day. The east lot offers a short-term option — $2 per half-hour — as well.

“There will always be a place to park if (you) come,” Johnson said. “It’s just a matter of where.”

Is there a new parking lot being built?

A new long-term parking lot is planned for the south frontage at the airport near the AM-PM and Arco gas station, Johnston said.

The south economy parking lot will offer an additional 3,000 spots for vehicles, he said.

Airport officials hope to have construction completed “before the end of the year,” Johnson said.

How much travel time do I need?

“The more time you can give yourself, the better,” Johnson said.

About 20,000 passengers come through the Sacramento airport on a normal day, he said, so travelers need to allow for extra time to find parking, get through security and arrive at their gates before boarding.

He recommends arriving at the airport 2½ hours ahead of time for a domestic flight.

“You’re not able to come to the airport 45 minutes before your flight anymore and be able to make it comfortably to the gate,” he said.

Rather than drive, Johnston encourages airport travelers to get a ride from a family friend or take Lyft, Uber or another rideshare service. You can also take the Yolobus or the Sacramento Regional Transit’s Airport Express , which offer daily service multiple times a day.