MARTA reopens Airport Station after six-week renovation
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Airport Station reopened on May 20 after a six-week closure to renovate the concourse and platform levels. The following work was completed during a temporary station closure from April 8 through May 19.
- Installation of new terrazzo flooring in concourse
- Installation of new platform pavers
- Repair, sealing and painting of track and concourse walls
- Preparation for installation of the new canopy
“This was an incredibly successful project and I want to thank our customers for bearing with us while we completed this necessary work,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood. “Temporarily closing the station significantly reduced the overall construction time by 17 months and ensured the safety of workers and customers. A big thank you to the project and construction teams and MTI Limo and Shuttle Services for working around the clock to get this work done and make sure customers and airport employees still had a reliable connection to the airport.”
During the closure, MARTA provided bus shuttle service between College Park Station and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport 22 hours a day. The agency notes shuttle ridership was approximately 320,000 during the 42-day period. Airport Station serves on average 11,000 customers daily.
The Airport Station Project is part of MARTA’s approximately $1 billion multi-year Station Rehabilitation Program and primarily paid for with State of Good Repair Funds in the capital budget. The total project cost is $55 million.
MARTA began station rehabilitation work at Airport Station in June 2022. Prior to this most recent round of construction, teams completed structural work in preparation for the new elevator installation, replaced the south vestibule and progressed electrical upgrades. Other planned improvements include replacement of ceilings and lighting, a new RideStore, full rehabilitation of the existing elevator, a public art installation, replacement of all signage and full renovation of employee spaces.
The agency notes additional service impacts may follow as the project reaches its conclusion, including nightly closures and another temporary closure at the end of construction to install the new canopy. All service impacts will be communicated well in advance.
MARTA has also upgraded digital sign content at Airport Station and at all 38 rail stations systemwide to display more service information, including real-time train arrivals and scheduled train arrivals up to 30 minutes out. Real-time arrivals will be denoted with an icon and update every 10 seconds. Scheduled arrivals will account for single tracking and special rail service. Other digital sign upgrades planned for this year include repairs to nonfunctioning station screens, adding live bus departures and cancellations to the screens and enhancement to MARTA’s website.
