Skanska USA Building has begun the “surgical deconstruction” of a concrete canopy at an Atlanta light rail station, the firm announced Nov. 11.
The existing concrete canopy at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Five Points Station consists of pre-stressed concrete beams, post-tension cables, hollow-core slabs, glazing and columns. The task requires Skanska to systematically deconstruct the overhang while the subterranean station below it remains operational for customers.
The ultimate design will make the project more open-concept, with three new pedestrian entrances below a 32,000-square-foot mass timber canopy.
The removal is the first phase of a reimagining of the 144,400-square-foot transit hub, transforming it into a “vibrant city center” designed to enhance transit connectivity, customer amenities and safety.
Since 1981, Five Points Station has been the largest and busiest rail station in the MARTA system, serving as the central transfer point between all rail lines in Atlanta. The city’s combined bus, rail and streetcar transit system includes 48 miles of rail, 2.7-miles of circular streetcar tracks and over 1,000 miles of bus routes.
Skanska anticipates completing deconstruction by 2027 and is slated to serve as the contractor on future phases.
“We’re excited to contribute to the revitalization of the Five Points Station as MARTA and the city work to create a more dynamic urban core in downtown Atlanta,” Matt Frey, executive vice president and general manager for Skanska USA Building’s Atlanta-based building operations, said in the release. Globally, Skanska is headquartered in Stockholm.
In the future, crews will add community spaces, public art and urban agriculture, per the project page. Estimates place the total project cost at $230 million, with funds coming from the More MARTA Atlanta half-penny sales tax, $13.8 million from the state of Georgia and $24 million from a Federal RAISE Grant.
