Picking up passengers from Denver International Airport might have got easier as a new return-to-terminal route opened Wednesday, the airport announced.

The route allows drivers leaving the terminal to return by going from Peña Boulevard to Jackson Gap Street and entering the free-flow loop leading back to the Jeppesen Terminal. The route intends to make the return faster for drivers circling the terminal while waiting to pick up passengers.

Drivers picking up passengers are still asked to wait at the final approach lot until the passengers are ready to be picked up, officials said. The lot is approximately three miles west of the Jeppesen Terminal and can be accessed off Peña Boulevard.

Parking anywhere along Peña Boulevard or other nearby side streets is still not allowed.

The new Return-to-Terminal loop at Jackson Gap is now open! 🚗 🚙 A new free-flowing lane at Jackson Gap has opened dedicated just for drivers returning to the airport. See how the new route works! pic.twitter.com/om32EcOqAn

— Denver Int’l Airport (@DENAirport) July 14, 2021

The return-to-terminal route is also intended to improve the flow of traffic on Jackson Gap Street and Peña Boulevard, officials said. The opening of the route is a major milestone in the airport’s ongoing Peña Boulevard improvement project.

Inbound Peña Boulevard now has three through lanes between Jackson Gap Street and the terminal, and two dedicated travel lanes from the Jackson Gap Street on-ramp.

The $30 million Peña Boulevard improvement project intends to improve traffic flow to accommodate growth of the airport, improve public safety by reducing weaving patterns near the terminal, improve routes for ground transportation and replace aging infrastructure.

Most of the project will be completed by mid-August, with minor work continuing through September, officials said. Single- and double-lane closures will be implemented periodically through September from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.