BergerWorld: 4th Quarter 2006

Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (H-JAIA) is the busiest passenger airport in the world. Because more than 80 percent of the population of the United States is within a two-hour flight of H-JAIA, the airport serves as a major transport hub for flights to and from smaller cities throughout the country. In 2006, the airport accommodated more than 88 million passengers and executed over 980,000 takeoffs and landings. Additionally, it ranks 10th in terms of air cargo, making it one of only three airports in the United States to be listed in the top 10 in terms of both passengers and cargo.

To meet the increased demand for air travel and to reduce current delays, the city of Atlanta's Department of Aviation proposed the construction of a new $110 million, 9,000-foot fifth runway. The construction required a full-length parallel taxiway as well as dual north/south taxiways; two bridges capable of sustaining one-million pound aircraft; lighting and signage; the relocation of roadways and high-voltage transmission lines; and the removal of existing pavement and fencing. The Berger Group, in a joint venture with several major firms which comprise Hartsfield-Jackson Construction Management, was selected to provide construction management services for the ambitious project. The Team's tasks included preparing and monitoring master development schedules; developing construction cost estimates; performing resident engineering and construction inspection services of the new runway as well as related construction projects; and preparation of detailed progress reports for Atlanta's Department of Aviation.

The new runway is one the most complex structures of its kind in the world, crossing over 10 traffic lanes on Interstate 285, with portions of the runway on each side of the highway. Linking the two sections is a 152-meter-long, 3,640-meter-wide bridge/tunnel. Although most aircraft will touch down before crossing the bridge, some smaller aircraft are likely to make contact with the ground directly on top of it. The bridge can withstand a capacity of up to 606,271 tons, slightly more than the weight of a wide-body Boeing 747.

To further accommodate the growth at H-JAIA, Atlanta's Department of Aviation selected the Berger Group to complete an air cargo master plan. Throughout the master planning effort, Berger cooperated with public and private stakeholders and airport officials to include the needs of the cargo community within the overall strategic goals of the airport. Berger began the assignment by holding a stakeholder workshop, followed by one-on-one surveys with public and private stakeholders to solicit information regarding the constraints of the existing cargo facilities, as well as the need for additional facilities. Berger's air cargo master plan for H-JAIA included a facility inventory and assessment; a review of national and international cargo industry trends; cargo forecasts; and recommendations for additional facilities.