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The Massachusetts Port Authority construction board will close the Terminal E departures roadway at Boston Logan International Airport from Monday, September 14, through Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and reroute vehicles onto the arrivals level. Massport’s live alerts say passenger drop-off moves to E Lot 3 on the lower roadway, and departing travelers should allow extra time, follow posted detours, and consider transit.
If you are flying out of Terminal E, or collecting someone who just cleared customs, the curb you used last month will not be there. International arrivals still funnel through Terminal E, so the two-week roadway shutdown sits on top of the usual customs wait. Travelers connecting into the city can compare lodging before they land with our Boston stay guide, then pick a drop-off, pickup, or transit plan that matches the new curb map.
- When: Monday, September 14, through Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
- Drop-off: Terminal E departures roadway closes; vehicles use the arrivals lower level at E Lot 3.
- Pickup: Wait in the Cell Phone Lot until your party is at Zones 1 to 4.
- Massport advice: Extra travel time, follow detour signs, and consider transit.
- Airfield overlay: Runway 9-27 remains in a substantial safety-work closure, with afternoon and evening delay risk.
Terminal E Drop-Off Moves to the Arrivals Level
The Massachusetts Port Authority lists a Departures Level Closure and Detour for Terminal E on its roadway and construction updates page. From September 14 through 29, the upper roadway that normally serves outbound drop-offs will be closed, and vehicles will be redirected to the Terminal E arrivals level on the lower roadway. Passenger drop-off is relocated to E Lot 3 on that lower level.
That is a curb change, not a terminal shutdown. Ticketing, security, and gates inside Terminal E stay open. The friction is outside: cars, ride apps, and private cars that usually stop on the departures ramp will be packed onto the same lower roadway that already handles bags, taxis, and international meet-and-greet traffic. Massport’s alert for the same window tells departing passengers to allow extra travel time and to follow detour signage.
Ride-app instructions on Massport’s Getting Here page still describe a generic Logan pattern: drop-offs at the departures level of your airline’s terminal, and pickups from signed areas that can include the Central Garage. That generic pattern does not override the Terminal E detour. If your app still says “departures, Terminal E,” ignore the default pin and follow the airport’s September 14 to 29 signs to E Lot 3 on the arrivals level.
Pickup Drivers Should Wait in the Cell Phone Lot
Pickup is a different rule from drop-off. Drivers collecting passengers at Terminal E should wait at the Cell Phone Lot until those passengers are at Zones 1 to 4. Circling the lower roadway while someone is still in customs is how the curb locks up, especially on international banks.
A standing pickup advisory tells drivers meeting international arrivals to allow extra time for customs before they enter airport roadways, watch curb congestion, follow State Police direction, and stay in the Cell Phone Lot until the passenger is ready. Stack that with the two-week detour and the lower level will run slower than a typical Sunday night.
The Terminal E taxi stand has already moved outside Door E107, and that relocation is listed as ongoing. Vestibules E101 and E102 are closed, as is the Terminal E to C arrivals-level sidewalk. A passenger who walks out the wrong door can add several minutes before reaching Zones 1 to 4 or the taxi line.
Transit Options That Skip the Terminal E Curb
Massport’s alert for the roadway work tells departing passengers to consider transit, which is the cleanest way to avoid E Lot 3. The MBTA Silver Line SL1 still runs from the terminal curb to South Station at no extra fare. The on-airport shuttle still connects terminals to the MBTA Blue Line at Airport Station and to the water dock.
Logan Express remains the suburban option, with service to Back Bay, Braintree, Framingham, Peabody, and Woburn. Massport warns that parking may be limited at all Logan Express sites and tells passengers to arrange a ride to those lots before they board. Confirm a space rather than assuming garage availability on a weekday morning.
For travelers still shopping flights, Deep Arrival’s airlines coverage is the place to compare carriers before you lock a Terminal E departure. A Silver Line or Logan Express ride does not care that the upper roadway is closed. A ride-app drop does.
Other Logan Construction Still in Effect
The Terminal E roadway window is not Logan’s only active project. Massport is in the second and final phase of FAA-required safety work on Runway 9-27, closed with limited availability for 75 days beginning August 31 and slated to finish before Thanksgiving. Alerts still warn of afternoon and evening aircraft delays. Check the airline app before you leave for the airport.
The FAA’s current operations plan lists Runway 9-27 at Boston as closed through September 17 at 1600 UTC, then in limited operations through October 31. That federal note confirms the airfield is not in a normal configuration. Deep Arrival already covered the Runway 9-27 safety-work window. This Terminal E detour is a separate curb decision on top of that airfield work.
The pedestrian bridge between Terminal A and the Air Canada, American, and Alaska side of Terminal B is closed. Pre-security escalators on the Southwest and United side are out, so use elevators. The Terminal C bus stop for Logan Express, hotel shuttles, and ride-app shuttles has moved to door C102 near the Logan Chapel. A misconnect can stack those detours onto the Terminal E curb change.
How to Time a Terminal E Trip This Month
Build the curb change into the clock, not the other way around. If you are being dropped off, the useful move is to add time before security, not after the flight boards. International check-in already runs long. A lower-level drop at E Lot 3 plus a walk through a terminal with closed vestibules can erase a tight connection before you reach the TSA line. Massport’s weather caveat also matters: construction may be canceled because of weather, but you should not plan as if the upper roadway will reopen early.
If you are the driver, do not enter the Terminal E loop until the passenger texts that they are at Zones 1 to 4. The Cell Phone Lot exists for that pause. If you are the passenger, name the zone in the text, not just “I’m out.” Door E107 is the current taxi reference, not a promise that every ride-app pin is correct. If you can take the Silver Line, Logan Express, or the Blue Line shuttle, you skip the detour fight entirely and leave the lower roadway to the people who have no other choice.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Are being dropped at Terminal E between September 14 and 29 | Use E Lot 3 on the arrivals lower level, not the closed departures roadway, and add time before security. |
| Are picking up at Terminal E | Wait in the Cell Phone Lot until your party is at Zones 1 to 4, then follow curb staff. |
| Can take transit | Use Silver Line SL1, Logan Express, or the on-airport shuttle to the Blue Line and skip the Terminal E curb. |
| Have an afternoon or evening flight | Check the airline app before you leave. Runway 9-27 work still adds delay risk on top of the roadway detour. |
September 14 is the curb switch. From that Monday, Terminal E drop-offs use E Lot 3 on the arrivals lower level, not the closed departures roadway.
September 29 is the dated end of the detour. Until then, pickups should wait in the Cell Phone Lot for Zones 1 to 4, and transit remains the cleaner path.
Afternoon and evening flights still carry runway delay risk. Runway 9-27 safety work continues through the fall, so check the airline app before you leave home.
When does the Terminal E roadway detour start and end?
Massport dates the Terminal E roadway construction and detour from Monday, September 14, through Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Drop-off moves to E Lot 3 on the arrivals lower level for that window.
Where do I drop someone at Terminal E during the closure?
Follow signs to the Terminal E arrivals level (lower roadway). Massport says passenger drop-off is relocated to E Lot 3. The upper departures roadway is closed.
Where should pickup drivers wait?
Wait in the Cell Phone Lot until passengers are at pick-up Zones 1 to 4. Do not circle the lower roadway while someone is still in customs.
Is the runway work the same project?
No. The Terminal E detour is a two-week curb closure. Runway 9-27 safety work is a separate airfield project that began August 31 and continues through the fall, with Massport warning of afternoon and evening delays.
