Airports increasingly require construction programs that modernize aging infrastructure without disrupting daily operations. A Tampa International Airport project that replaced an elevated monorail with moving walkways has received regional recognition for its design-build delivery and operational coordination.
The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority commissioned the Tampa International Airport Monorail Decommissioning and Moving Walkways Installation project to improve connections between the airport's short-term and long-term parking garages and the main terminal.
Manhattan Construction Company delivered the project with C&S Companies as design partner. The work involved demolishing the existing elevated monorail system and installing 12 moving walkways across approximately 150,000 square feet of parking structure space.
The improvements created an accessible pedestrian route between parking facilities and the terminal. The garage configuration also was modified to accommodate nearly 500 additional parking spaces.
Maintaining airport operations was a central construction requirement. The project team used phased work and ongoing coordination to keep passenger movement and parking operations functioning during construction.
The project also required extensive investigation of the existing post-tensioned structure before new work was performed. Site scanning and engineered solutions were used to plan 2,200 anchor penetrations. According to the project information, the work was completed without striking post-tensioning cables.
The 2026 DBIA Florida Region Project Awards recognized the project in the HONOR - AVIATION category. The awards program evaluates design-build projects based on factors including collaboration, cost, schedule and operational performance.
The award was presented June 16, 2026, during the DBIA Florida Region Annual Conference Awards Luncheon at Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek in Orlando.
The Tampa airport project illustrates the coordination requirements involved when contractors modernize transportation facilities that must remain operational throughout construction. For airport owners and construction managers, the work highlights the importance of phased delivery, existing-condition investigation and structural planning when upgrades involve active passenger facilities and aging infrastructure.
Source: Manhattan Construction.
