Dec 18, 2025 - Travel

Airport expansion gulps 22,000 truckloads of dirt and counting

Jason Clayworth

Construction site with yellow machinery and equipment near a large snow-dotted dirt mound under a cloudy blue sky in a wintery landscape. — This hill near Southwest 42nd Street and Army Post Road is the Des Moines International Airport's "borrow pit," where hundreds of tons of dirt are being collected. Photo: Jason Clayworth/Axios

Des Moines' airport expansion requires a staggering amount of earth — already around 22,000 truckloads and counting.

Why it matters: The dirt work is an evident and disruptive early stage of the multi-year terminal project, which is reshaping the airport's footprint and traffic patterns along Fleur Drive.

Catch up quick: The nearly $600 million project includes a new terminal, 11 gates and an apron area used for parking and loading aircraft.

At least six gates are expected to open in January 2027, with the others opening by 2030.

Driving the news: Neighborhood groups have asked about the large amounts of dirt brought into the airport area, DSM Councilperson Carl Voss said during a presentation by Des Moines International Airport officials last week.

What they're saying: A "surcharge" construction technique used in the project leverages the weight of large amounts of soil to extract water from the ground and prevent uneven settling.

Mounds will eventually be leveled, with excess soil moved and used as fill elsewhere in the project, Bryan Belt, the airport's chief development officer, told the council.

Stunning stat: The airport estimates that about 220,000 cubic yards — or over 400 million pounds of dirt — have been moved so far.

What we're watching: The shrinking hill near Southwest 42nd Street and Army Post Road, where dirt is being excavated.

Its removal will help prepare the area for future airport developments.

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Airport expansion gulps 22,000 truckloads of dirt and counting

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