Expansion of Raleigh-Durham’s Terminal 2 Enters New Phase in January

The project is expected to be completed in 2032.

Zach Vasile

Friday, December 05, 2025 at 03:47 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A distant view of Terminal 2 at Raleigh–Durham International Airport. (Photo: Sharkshock | Shutterstock)

Key Takeaways:

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) will begin two years of internal construction on Terminal 2's north end in January to expand ticketing, international arrivals, security lanes, and upgrade baggage handling.
This landside expansion aims to reduce congestion and wait times, with all existing ticket counters and security lanes remaining open during the construction.
The Terminal 2 expansion is part of RDU's broader $2.5 billion capital improvement plan, which also includes replacing a runway, expanding customs, and adding parking, with the entire project expected to be completed in 2032.

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Construction work on Terminal 2 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport will move inside the terminal starting in January, officials announced.

Early next month, crews will install a temporary floor-to-ceiling wall at the north end of the terminal, where construction will take place. The area will be closed off for about two years while workers expand the ticketing and international arrivals zones, add security checkpoint lanes, and upgrade the baggage handling system.

All ticket counters and security lanes will remain open during that time, the airport said.

Raleigh-Durham is expanding Terminal 2’s landside areas to help reduce congestion and bring down wait times. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2032.

The airport also plans to replace Runway 5L/23R, expand its customs facility, and add parking space. The broader capital improvement plan is expected to cost $2.5 billion.