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For years, the bridge security checkpoint at Denver International Airport (DEN) was something of a local secret, an if you know, you know shortcut for travelers who would rather not wait in line at the now-shuttered North and South Security Checkpoints.
Located at the north end of the Jeppesen Terminal, bridge security was tucked away off the top floor. It often felt like a ghost town. Even better? Once through security, travelers were whisked through a skybridge above the taxiway of Concourse A where you could linger over local art exhibits while melodic tunes played through speakers overhead.
Planes passed beneath your feet as you strode—or rode a moving walkway—to your gate. The masses stood in gridlocked mazes and packed into underground trains, but not you. It was cool. You were cool. Everyone else was a sucker.
If your flight was departing from Concourses B or C, you still had to hop on the train once you’d crossed the bridge—a small price to pay for being in the know—but you didn’t have to fight for elbow room on the dock. “People felt like they knew of a secret special checkpoint,” says Stacey Stegman, DEN’s senior vice president of communications, marketing, and customer experience. “It was a local favorite. People who were visiting didn’t [think] to go there.”
Then, in December 2024, bridge security closed permanently amidst the Great Hall renovations. The skybridge shuttered temporarily with it. The enormous construction project, which broke ground in 2018 and saw major setbacks initially, has reimagined everything under DEN’s iconic white canopied tents—including the location of security.
In early 2024, DEN opened the West Security Checkpoint equipped with 17 screening lanes, new technology, and an easier queuing system. And just last week, DEN opened an identical checkpoint on the terminal’s east side. The north and south security screening areas are officially no more.
More importantly, buried in the news that the East Security Checkpoint was opening, the skybridge resurrected. Now, once through either the east or west screening areas, travelers have a decision to make: Descend an escalator to the trains with the unknowing tourists, or walk about 1,000 glorious feet above the taxiway. The bridge security checkpoint is still gone, and it’s not coming back. But the skybridge is once again a refuge—currently featuring an art exhibit celebrating historic local fashion—on an otherwise dull journey from security to your gate.
And for those who mourn the loss of the hidden security area, fear not. Plans are in the works to add two smaller checkpoints on Level 5 with four screening areas each. Plus, the old TSA PreCheck corral, which was tucked away on Level 5, will also reopen with four lanes in the near future. “I anticipate very much the same thing happening,” Stegman says. “People finding these smaller checkpoints and thinking they’ve discovered the secret.”
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Even for travelers who don’t hunt for less-trafficked security lines, they can expect wait times to be less than they’ve experienced in recent years. According to DEN data, it takes about four minutes to pass through the new checkpoints, while the older screening areas averaged about 10 minutes per traveler.
Bridge security may be a relic of the past, but the skybridge is not. It’s back, it’s inconspicuous, and it’s just waiting for you to discover it again.
