This project consisted of designing a grade-separating retaining wall. The wall is approximately 765 ft long and typically retains 16’-0” to 18’-6” of roadway fill. Several stairways and an access tunnel were also designed into the wall. The wall and tunnel were equipped to support soil and self-load as well as highway live loading.

The project had been initiated prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks. After the attacks, heightened security requirements mandated a new requirement of the wall: a large majority of the airport’s parking is within what is considered a safe envelope. Thus, the wall was configured to protect the building from a prescribed explosive scenario. This mandated an increase in wall height and thickness from that of the original design. This was one of the first projects of this type in the nation to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).