DIA Parking Toll Plaza Relocation - CO

Project Focus
Owner representatives have hailed this project as the single most important improvement in customer service in the short history of the new Denver International Airport (DIA). With daily flights steadily increasing the remote parking management and revenue control system handling over 20,000 vehicles daily was being severely tested with significant delays for traffic trying to exit the airport during peak periods. Many times DIA was obliged to allow the “long”-waiting cars to pass without paying. The City and County of Denver decided, after careful consideration of the problem, to relocate the toll plaza facilities closer to the terminal, within the existing parking areas. Under the new design, passenger pickup and drop-off as well as buses, taxis, rental car and hotel shuttles would stay outside of the revenue management system. This eliminated a large volume of the “pass-through” traffic at the toll plaza.

Project Details
Schedule & Complexity
The decision to build this project afforded the City of Denver an opportunity to upgrade their existing revenue equipment, phone lines, revenue handling methods and security of the transfer of funds. This required several individual contractors to coordinate their work efforts to maintain an efficient flow of the work. Civil construction had to be coordinated with premise wiring of new fiber-optic lines, lighting and main power installation, revenue equipment installation and testing, exit plaza canopy construction, irrigation and landscaping operations, pneumatic tube installation and testing as well as existing parking and revenue collection by the owner. An extraordinary effort was required by all of the involved parties to produce an opening day switch from the old system to the new system that went successfully and without any problems.

Construction & Innovation
Several challenges presented themselves to the Owner, Designer, and Contractor throughout the planning, design and construction phases of this project. The new facilities were constructed entirely within the limits of the existing parking lots adjacent to the terminal garage, and these needed to remain fully functional through out the duration of the project. Four satellite office buildings to service the new exit plaza cashier employees were constructed within and adjacent to roadways currently carrying customers to the parking areas. Distinct multiple phases were necessary to provide safe and efficient traffic flow throughout the many areas of construction. The project was highly visible, as every single parking customer had to travel through one or more of the work areas. Through excellent teamwork and communication, the high potential for bad publicity due to inconvenience, delays, confusion, and possible safety risks to the customers was effectively managed so that no significant bad press was realized.

Although the 45,000 plus square yards of concrete pavement weaving into and out of toll plaza areas from the adjacent parking lots was a relatively small portion of the overall contract, it was instrumental in the functionality of the ultimate user interface. Concrete pavement was selected because of long-life, low maintenance and serviceability in the high turning and stop and go movement within the plaza area.

Quality
Excellent quality was achieved in smoothness and appearance, especially considering the 17 phases required constructing the paving under the traffic control plan. The Contractor Quality Control Plan provided testing and inspection for all aspects of the work, with statistical QA verification by the Owner.