Back in November, the local politicos did a typical pretend shovel event to tout a $45 million Muhammad Ali Airport security expansion. Here’s how the local paper put it:

The biggest change in more than 35 years to the terminal at Louisville’s main airport kicked off this week, set to increase security screening capacity by over 60%.

A $45 million overhaul to the security checkpoint at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport marked its groundbreaking Thursday, an effort expected to be completed by late 2026.   

The expanded security checkpoint is one aspect of the multi-year, approximately $500-million SDF Next Program, which includes renovations to many parts of the airport.

The existing security area will be expanded with a 30,000-square-foot addition on the west side of the terminal. It will have space for up to 10 screening lanes with state-of-the-art equipment, up from the current six.

Maybe the C-J should take another look, because it sure seems like the security access has slowed significantly since that announcement was made. And the delay isn’t because of construction.

If you’ve been on any recent morning flight, you’ve seen a whole new section formed for TSA PreCheck clients (that system that lets you get through security without having to unpack electronics from your bag or take your shoes off).

And the number of TSA agents is up significantly. Seems like it’s doubled. And, oddly, it’s taking a lot longer to get through security. On one recent morning, TSA was holding people in a kind of security pen and only letting at most eight through at a time even though the terminal wasn’t any more crowded that in the past.

If there’s a travel writer in Louisville, that person should find out why things are taking longer with more security staff working.

Seems to defeat the purpose of that whole $45 million renovation.