PHX Perspective

PHX Sky Train® Construction Continues at a Steady Clip

Construction of Stage One of the PHX Sky Train® continues in high gear with the demolition of three bridges in September among the many major milestones achieved to date. The bridges were on eastbound Sky Harbor Boulevard at southbound 44th Street and Air Lane and westbound Sky Harbor Boulevard at southbound 44th Street.

The bridge demolitions, that took place over two, three-day periods, will allow construction of an access road from the PHX Sky Train Maintenance Storage Facility site and work on a new ramp into the Airport.

Primary demolition equipment included: Komatsu PC 400 with LaBounty UP70 Shear, with hammer attachment, with hydraulic grapple, grapple/hammer, grapple/hydraulic shear; Hitachi 450 excavator with hydraulic grapple/hammer; John Deere JC 992 excavator with shear; Cat 966 loaders with smooth cutting edge; water trucks; semi-truck end dumps; and sweepers for cleanup activities.

Above right is a time-lapse video of the bridge demolition.

Other construction activities include the continued drilling of shafts along the south side of Terminal 4 to prepare for placement of columns and steel cross foundation cages (corbels). Five out of 14 piers (shaft, column & corbel) have been fully completed to date.

Some 15 of 17 guideway shafts have been drilled and are now in place in the East Economy Parking Lot and column construction will follow.

The PHX Sky Train will be a gateway for visitors to and from the Airport to Phoenix and surrounding areas via the Metro Light Rail. Stage one of the PHX Sky Train will transport Airport visitors and employees between METRO light rail, east economy parking and Terminal 4, which serves 80 percent of Sky Harbor’s passengers. It will be complete in late 2012. Stage two, which will continue through the Airport all the way to the Rental Car Center, will be up and running in 2020.