TSA reopens strategic checkpoint at Twin Cities airport

This sign and a roll-down door block access to a security checkpoint.
This sign and a roll-down door block access to the security checkpoint from the Intercontinental Hotel to boarding gates at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Monday. Transportation Security Administration officials have decided to reopen the checkpoint Thursday.
Tim Nelson | MPR News

Transportation Security Administration officials have decided to reopen a Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport checkpoint it closed earlier this week claiming it was underused.

The move to close the checkpoint linked to the Intercontinental Hotel riled airport officials who feared longer passenger wait times as holiday travel approached. The closure came just a year after airport operators spent $24 million to build a connecting walkway from the hotel to the entry point.

The Metropolitan Airports Commission met with TSA Administrator David Pekoske on Thursday and agreed to reimburse the agency for related costs. The agreement will be reviewed within 12 to 18 months to determine whether traffic has increased enough for the TSA to again pick up the screening costs.

The checkpoint will open from 4:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.