Construction crews are putting the finishing touches on a new North Cell Phone Lot at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, a roughly 145-space waiting area set to open in late November just as holiday travel ramps up. Once it's finished, airport officials say drivers will also face stricter enforcement against parking in front of the terminals, with fines and towing on the table for anyone who lingers at the curb.
The new lot sits at Rogell Drive and Burton Drive and will replace the current waiting area off East Service Drive, according to the Wayne County Airport Authority. It's scheduled to open ahead of the holiday travel season in late November, per the authority, and will offer roughly 145 free parking spaces for drivers waiting to pick someone up. The existing South Cell Phone Lot, near Eureka and Wayne roads, will stay exactly as it is.
Closer to the Curb, No More Turnaround Needed
One practical perk of the new location: it sits on the same side of the road as the Warren C. Evans Terminal, according to ClickOnDetroit. That means drivers headed to pick up arriving passengers will no longer need to park near the exit to I-94 and loop through the turnaround to reach the Arrivals curb. The station notes that detail as part of the airport's broader push to begin zero-tolerance enforcement once the lot opens.
Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Chad Newton framed the project as part of a larger customer-experience push at the airport. “This new lot reflects our ongoing commitment to improving the customer experience at DTW,” Newton said, adding that the move is aimed at reducing congestion at the curb and creating a safer environment for everyone moving through the airport. The airport's cell phone lots are described as free waiting areas close to the terminals, located at each end of the airport, per the authority's own guidance.
Zero Tolerance Once the Lot Is Done
DTW police are asking drivers to use the lot and wait there until they've received confirmation that their passengers have their bags and are waiting at the curb, rather than circling or parking at the terminal. Once construction wraps up, only active loading and unloading will be permitted in front of the Evans and McNamara terminals — parking there will be banned outright, the airport authority says.
Drivers who break that rule face a citation and a $70 fine, and any vehicle left unattended at the curb is subject to towing, according to the same source. Per CBS News, Tadarial Sturdivant, senior vice president of emergency and support services and operations, said safety at DTW is the top priority and that the zero-tolerance approach supports safe traffic flow and quick curbside loading and unloading. The CBS Detroit report notes the policy takes hold once the new North Cell Phone Lot construction is complete.
For now, travelers heading to DTW this month can expect to see the new lot taking shape near Rogell and Burton drives, with the airport positioning it as a smoother alternative to waiting at the curb once the holiday rush hits.
