TSA Airport Rail Station

In January 2001 UNIT COMPANY was the successful bidder on the AIA Railstation project at the Ted Stevens International Airport with a winning proposal that was 1.4% below the second bidder. Upon receipt of a Notice to Proceed from the Alaska Railroad our firm began immediate preparations for what we perceived to be a challenging and unique project to construct.

We concentrated our initial efforts on the structural frame of the project, which we perceived to be the most rigorous portion of the project to construct. As a result we supplemented our jobsite staff with a structural detailing expert that was engaged to assist us solely in the review of the structural steel details and shop drawings from our steel fabricator.

The project is unique for the State of Alaska as it combines a 2000' long elevated concrete structure supported on large diameter drilled concrete shafts which transitions into a concrete pedestrian platform that train passengers disembark upon. The elevated structure is clad in Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) panels that provide a curved exterior surface and conceal precast concrete girders.

This covered platform feeds into a 3 story structural steel and cast in place concrete train station that is a dramatic structure with soaring ceilings and uncommon architectural statements due to curving, radiuses and sloping exterior walls constructed of concrete glass, aluminum and metal panels. This building moves passengers through a series of escalators down into a tunnel that opens into the International Airport Terminal Grand Arrival Hall and will be the main entrance to the airport in the future.

Our work at the airport has involved interaction with numerous projects being constructed simultaneously by the State of Alaska as part of the overall Airport redevelopment plan.  We have been involved with coordinating our work with various landside improvement projects associated with utilities, roads and parking lot changes that have occurred on all sides of our project.