Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Runway Expansion Design

Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Runway

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) serves 23 million passengers annually. By replacing the 5,300-foot general aviation runway with a new 8,000-foot commercial service runway, the airport has been able to increase both the capacity and flexibility with which it can handle larger commercial jets. Runway 10R-28L’s expansion was critical to both the airport’s long-range development capacity goals and the overall U.S. air traffic system, increasing aircraft operations at FLL from 80 to more than 100 operations per hour.

Atkins served as lead designer responsible for the replacement and expansion of Runway 10R-28L and associated taxiways, leading a team of 16 specialized and local subconsultants. As project manager/engineer-of-record for the $791 million expansion, Atkins prepared the design criteria package for the runway and taxiway structures to the 30-percent level, as well as the site preparation and paving design-bid-build packages to the 100-percent level. The project was delivered by design-build and traditional design-bid-build methods. Atkins also performed construction administration and oversight for the project.

In addition, Atkins designed taxiways associated with the runway. Along with a full-length parallel Taxiway J to the north, the runway extends over the existing Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) Railroad and US Highway 1. Runway 10R-28L and Taxiway J are constructed on an elevated bridge/tunnel structure. These structures were delivered by design-build methodology, with Atkins preparing the design criteria package.