Construction work has begun on the US$6bn capital improvement plan (CIP) for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, USA.
The ATLNext program will modernize the airport’s domestic terminal, expand its concourses, replace its parking facilities, and pave the way for a hotel and mixed-use development project.
The CIP is part of the airport’s 2030 ATL Master Plan and will see approximately US$1bn invested in renovating facilities in 2017 alone. One of the first projects in the plan is a six-week effort to modernize the West Crossover – the escalator corridor linking the airport’s Plane Train with the baggage claim areas. This included retiring the Spirit of Atlanta, a 70ft-wide mural of children playing at the Centennial Olympic Park. The mural will be preserved in digital form by appearing on a display screen that will also relay important flight information to passengers.
Roosevelt Council Jr, interim airport general manager, said, “The ATLNext modernization project will prepare our airport for the future. We’ll honor our past by ensuring the Spirit of Atlanta remains, in some form, to welcome our guests for years to come.”