New security checkpoints opened Tuesday morning at Reagan National Airport, offering what airport officials say is an upgraded experience befitting an airport that serves as a gateway to the nation’s capital.

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       The checkpoints are one element of a $1 billion plan that is bringing the airport’s most significant upgrades since the opening of two new terminals in 1997. The Project Journey program increased the number of checkpoints to 28 from the current 20, although the Transportation Security Administration began with 23 in operation.

       “This is going to be fantastic for the passengers,” said Jack Potter, president and chief executive of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, as he surveyed the new space Tuesday morning.

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       The opening of the new security screening area means the public no longer has access to National Hall, the glass-enclosed area known for its expansive views of the airfield and the Potomac River. As of Tuesday, that area will be limited to ticketed passengers.

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       Travelers who arrive at the airport are now directed from the ticketing level for screening to one of two new 50,000-square-foot buildings across from Terminals B and C. Travelers without checked bags or luggage — or who are flying on American Airlines or Delta Air Lines, which will have check-in areas in the new security buildings — can access the area directly from the parking garage or Metro station.

       The opening of the checkpoints means the end of a maze of queues that made navigating National Hall, or even making a purchase at the airport’s Dunkin’ shop, a challenge in pre-pandemic times, when security lines routinely spilled into walkways. Such was often the case at an airport that routinely saw more than 23 million passengers move through its gates, even though it was designed to accommodate 15 million.

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       “This is the first time this airport will have a purpose-built space for security,” said Ron Mildiner, the TSA’s deputy federal security director at National Airport, who worked with airport officials on the design of the new spaces.

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       Like many U.S. airports, National wasn’t designed with security requirements that went into effect in the months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Instead, airport officials made do with the spaces they had. Those were often spots with low ceilings and poor lighting that left little space for passengers to gather their belongings post-screening or for TSA officers to take breaks, officials said.

       By contrast, natural light spills through the new screening spaces. The high-ceiling buildings feature windows with tints that change depending on the amount of sunlight. The space features the same yellow trim seen throughout the airport that some have dubbed “National yellow.”

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       Mildiner said the space has better sightlines and has been fitted with technology that improves security and enables TSA officers to screen passengers more quickly and efficiently. Some checkpoints are equipped with computed tomography scanners designed to speed travelers through screening. Passengers with carry-ons screened by these machines don’t have to remove laptops or liquids, Mildiner said.

       Among the most important features, said Scott T. Johnson, acting federal security director at National, there is more space. At a time when social distancing and masks are seen as key to containing the spread of the coronavirus, ample space for people as they move through the screening process is important, he said.

       Looking around during a recent preview tour, Johnson couldn’t help but smile.

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       “It’s a nicer vibe,” he said.

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       The checkpoints, combined with the 14-gate concourse that opened in April, expand the airport’s square footage, but will not increase its number of flights, airport officials said.

       The new concourse on the airport’s north side replaced the infamous Gate 35X, a holding room for passengers booked on regional jets.

       The project’s $1 billion price tag is funded through the sale of bonds and by fees that passengers pay when purchasing airline tickets.

       This story will be updated.