February 2018
Tampa Airport Opens New 1.4-Mile Automated People Mover System
TAMPA, FL - Tampa International Airport has officially opened its new SkyConnect automated people mover (APM), a 1.4-mile transit system connecting passengers from the main terminal building to a new consolidated rental car facility (CONRAC). Archer Western constructed the majority of the APM infrastructure, including the foundations, at-grade and elevated guideway, running surfaces, and the station and maintenance facility enclosures.
The mostly elevated APM starts at the main terminal building at an elevation of about 100 feet. The track winds in a S-shaped curve, passing over an existing Terminal APM guideway, underneath a taxiway, and over several roadways before reaching the long-term parking garage and CONRAC stations. This constrained and congested project site required considerable coordination with airport operations.
At its peak, over 300 Archer Western employees worked day and night to install 675 drilled shafts, construct piers, and set concrete and steel beams for the elevated guideway. As guideway sections were completed, additional Archer Western crews (working on a separate design-build project with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) installed the APM running surface, guidance retention devices, and station and maintenance facilities. Working with electrical contractors, Archer Western facilitated the installation and operation of the train systems. This new APM system and CONRAC facility will continue to keep Tampa International Airport ranked as one of the world’s most customer-friendly airports for years to come.