A major expansion project at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is getting a $40 million boost in federal funding.
It’s been nearly eight months since President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending plan into law. Yet Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff says the ripple effects of that money continue to be felt in the state.
“And because of the role that this airport plays, not just nationally but globally, we’re here with good news for the whole world,” Ossoff said Thursday morning at the airport.
Ossoff says $40 million in federal dollars will go to help upgrade the aging Concourse D at Atlanta’s airport, meaning larger seating areas, bigger restrooms and more room on the concourse.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens says the money will also create construction jobs.
“And our contracting opportunities will be as inclusive as ever, as we always are, to make sure there are opportunities for women-owned businesses and minority businesses,” said Dickens.
While airport officials wouldn’t give an estimate on the overall cost of the Concourse D construction project, they say work will begin in about a year.
“This is not going to be the first complex project for this airport,” said Hartsfield-Jackson general manager Balram Bheodari. “We’re putting together a very, very robust logistics plan of how we will be managing aircraft operations and passenger movement through the construction zone.”
Georgia U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams called the airport “the most important piece of civilian infrastructure in the country” and “a source of Black wealth.”
“We must invest in our airport so it can keep flying high for generations to come,” Williams said in a statement.
