Visitors to and residents of New Orleans have many reasons to love the Big Easy: the endless parties, the flowers that bloom even in winter, the history and the infinite personality and character. The airport is definitely not on this list.

For decades, the New Orleans airport — Louis Armstrong International — has been woefully dated, with limited options for shopping and dining (a shocker in a city known for its cuisine). The décor is horrible, despite a recent sprucing for the Super Bowl, and the place smells funny, among other complaints.

Mercifully, the city broke ground on a new 30-gate terminal, which will help bring the airport into current times and will help the city meet increasing demand for air travel. The new 650,000-square-foot North Terminal will replace the 50-year-old A, B, and C concourses. Concourse D will be repurposed into space for charter flights and airport offices. TSA screening will be consolidated into a single checkpoint.

The $1 billion price tag also includes new exit ramps on I-10. The planned opening is May 2, 2018, to coincide with the city’s tri-centennial celebration.