SAN DIEGO -- After nearly a decade of planning, work has started at San Diego International Airport on a $3.4 billion project that will eventually replace the 1960s-era Terminal 1 and build a new airport access road.

       The project got underway this week after the Federal Aviation Administration approved a federal environmental impact analysis, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Tuesday.

       Initial work ranges from removal of vacant cargo buildings to relocation of utilities.

       The new terminal will have 30 gates, improved food and retail concessions and a baggage system capable of handling 2,000 bags per hour during peak periods.

       Nineteen gates are expected to open in mid-2025. The old terminal will then be demolished and the remaining 11 gates should be finished by 2027.

       The airport’s Terminal 2 previously underwent a $1 billion redevelopment.