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A 600-person construction crew is moving to around-the-clock work as Dulles International Airport pushes to open its new $700 million Concourse E by early fall.

Airport officials expect the 14-gate facility to begin serving United Airlines passengers in late September or early October, though no firm opening date has been announced.

“These guys are working hard to get this done,” Airport Manager Richard Golinowski said during a June 10 media event highlighting the project’s progress.

Turner Construction, its subcontractors and crews working for concessionaires are building out the 450,000-square-foot concourse 24 hours a day on weekdays and for 12 to 15 hours daily on weekends.

Golinowski described the project as transformational and “the beginning of the rejuvenation” of Dulles, which opened in 1962. He said the goal is to give passengers a more welcoming environment and a better overall experience.

Departing passengers will travel from the main terminal to Concourse E through the underground AeroTrain system. Domestic arrivals and passengers coming from international airports with preclearance will also use AeroTrain to reach the main terminal.

Other international arrivals will initially be transported by bus to customs and immigration facilities.

Local businesses join the terminal lineup

Every concession space in Concourse E has been leased, according to Jaimini Erskine, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s vice president for marketing and concessions.

The mix will include national and international brands alongside businesses with regional connections. Planned tenants include Honor Brewing Company, which has locations in Fairfax and Loudoun, and Arlington-based Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe.

“A local presence is really important to us,” Erskine said. “We want to make sure everyone gets a taste of local.”

Restaurants, shops and gaming experiences will be distributed throughout the concourse so passengers have several options near their gates.

The facility will also contain a 40,000-square-foot United Club with room for 650 people. Once completed, it will be the airline’s second-largest club in the United States.

Bigger expansion plans are already taking shape

Concourse E is eventually expected to grow from 14 gates to 36. Planning is underway for the project’s second phase.

The concourse is one piece of a broader expansion effort at Dulles, which handled a record 29 million passengers last year. International travelers represented one-third of the airport’s traffic.

The airports authority adopted a master plan last summer that envisions enough capacity to serve more than 90 million passengers annually.

The Trump administration has called for improvements to move more quickly but has not presented a funding plan. Airport officials have reportedly estimated that the broader work could cost $22 billion.

Golinowski said at the June 10 event that the airports authority is working well with the administration to identify ways to advance the expansion.