For Immediate Release
June 2, 2022
Contact:
Office of Communications and Public Affairs
(678) 920-0857
Hartsfield-Jackson and Clark Construction Invite Media to Tour
Plane Train Tunnel West Extension Project
Ongoing tunnel expansion will increase throughput and efficiency at the world’s busiest airport.
ATLANTA - Sixty feet below the busiest and most efficient airport in the world, construction crews from the Clark Construction-led joint venture of Clark/Atkinson/Technique have been drilling, blasting, and excavating a 833-foot extension for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s (ATL) iconic Plane Train tunnel. A critical component of the City of Atlanta’s ATLNext program, the Plane Train Tunnel West Extension project will increase capacity and expedite travel for the train system’s 250,000 daily passengers.
ATL and its construction partners Clark/Atkinson/Technique invite the media to descend 60 feet underground to tour the project to see the complex construction for themselves. During the tour, representatives from ATL and Clark/Atkinson/Technique will discuss the unique construction elements and the close coordination, communication, and planning required to limit disruption to Airport operations to ensure project success. Information will also be provided about the other components of the Plane Train Tunnel West Extension project, including the renovations to the existing terminus station to support increased capacity.
WHEN: Thursday, June 9, 2022
8:30 a.m. ET
WHERE: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Plane Train Tunnel West Extension Construction Site
5998 North Terminal Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30320
WHO: Tom Nissalke, Assistant General Manager, Planning and Development, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Tony Gallivan, Senior Vice President, Clark Construction Group (leading the joint venture of Clark/Atkinson/Technique)
Gabrielle Ferro, Project Manager, Clark Construction Group
Billy Freeman, Jr., President, Technique Concrete Construction
RSVP: Attendees must RSVP to media@atl.com. Due to limited space inside the tunnel and for everyone’s safety, media representatives must RSVP by Monday, June 6 in order to gain access to the jobsite and be permitted to attend the tour.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO MEDIA
Check-in: Please check in promptly at 8:30 a.m.
Standup Interviews and Live Shots: Participants will have the opportunity to conduct live shots and standup interviews with representatives from ATL and Clark/Atkinson/Technique after the tour concludes at 10:15 a.m.
What to Wear and Bring: As the tour will take place on a construction site, participants are required to wear appropriate clothing. Long pants, ¾-length sleeved shirts, closed-toed, hard-soled waterproof boots/waders are required. High-visibility PPE vests, eye protection goggles, gloves and hard hats will be provided.
Directions: Follow signs for North Parking/North Terminal and then veer to the far right before you reach the North pickup/drop-off area. You will see a sign that says, “Authorized Vehicles Only” and a Clark/Atkinson/Technique banner on a chain link fence. Upon arrival, you will be asked to present a photo ID at the security guard kiosk. An area will be designated for you to park outside the construction trailers.
Atlanta Plane Train Tunnel West Extension Project
To accommodate an increasing number of travelers, Clark/Atkinson/Technique, a joint venture led by Clark Construction Group, is working alongside the City of Atlanta to develop a 700-foot tunnel extension to the existing Plane Train automated people mover (APM) beyond Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s Domestic Baggage Claim Terminus Station.
The extension will create a more efficient train turn-around operation, allowing for a significant reduction in train headway. By reducing headway, the APM will increase passenger capacity by enabling more frequent service.
As a result of improved Plane Train efficiency, Clark/Atkinson/Technique is renovating the existing Plane Train Terminus Station. The joint venture is designing a new multilevel west vertical transportation core with increased vertical circulation element capacity – escalators and elevators – to deliver passengers from the station platform to the Domestic Terminal Boarding/Ground Transportation level.
The construction firm is also improving the station’s east vertical core by adding an ADA elevator to provide an equivalent path of travel for passengers coming from the Airport’s Transportation Mall, which runs parallel to the Plane Train system.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) is the world’s busiest and most efficient airport. Owned and operated by the City of Atlanta, ATL provides nonstop service to 150 U.S. destinations and 70 international locations in more than 50 countries. ATL was the first airport in history to serve more than 100 million passengers in a calendar year and continues to top passenger totals worldwide. In response to the current pandemic, Hartsfield-Jackson has pivoted to focus on implementing heightened safety protocols while maintaining efficiency and financial stability. The Airport boasts a direct economic impact of $66 billion in the region. A frequent recipient of awards of excellence, ATL is recognized for its leadership in concessions, operations, sustainability, architectural engineering, and construction. For more information, visit www.atl.com.
About Clark Construction Group
For more than a century, Clark Construction Group has been transforming the ideas and visions of its clients into world-class projects that make the United States a stronger, safer place. As one of the nation's largest asset creators, Clark has offices strategically located across the country to serve the needs of its clients. For more information, visit www.clarkconstruction.com.
About Atkinson Construction
Founded in 1926, Atkinson Construction is one of the most experienced and diverse civil contractors in the United States. Recognized for excellence in constructing highly-engineered and complex projects, Atkinson provides sophisticated and innovative heavy civil solutions for clients across the country. For more information, visit www.atkn.com.
