ATLANTA — Travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport now have access to a new parking option after the airport officially opened its Domestic Terminal South Parking Deck on Monday.
The seven-level deck features approximately 7,000 parking spaces and includes an indoor walkway providing direct access to the South Domestic Terminal.
Airport General Manager Ricky Smith said the new facility uses an automated parking guidance system designed to help drivers locate available spaces more efficiently.
“With the parking guidance system we can actually keep the garage open until it’s 100% full,” Smith said.
Smith said most airports close parking decks when they are about 85% full because of how difficult it can be for drivers to find open spaces. He said each parking space in the new deck is equipped with a sensor.
“Each space has a sensor associated with it that lets the passenger know as they enter the parking deck how many spaces are available on each floor,” Smith said.
The new deck provides 6,400 covered parking spaces and nearly 1,300 surface spaces. Smith said the facility includes options for electric vehicle parking, hourly parking, daily parking and employee parking.
Airport officials say the parking guidance system will direct drivers to available spaces, and additional attendants will be on-site to help travelers navigate the new facility.
“We’ll have extra parking attendants out at the parking garage making sure passengers know how to get in and out,” Smith said.
The project took three years to complete and cost just over $440 million. Airport officials say it is the first phase of a larger effort to overhaul and expand parking at Hartsfield-Jackson.
Later this summer, work is expected to begin on demolishing and rebuilding the existing daily parking structure across from the South Terminal entrances.
“We’re going to tear down the other South Parking Deck and rebuild that, that’s going to take a couple of years,” Smith said.
Once completed, the next phase is expected to restore 5,000 parking spaces. Construction is scheduled to begin in August.
Airport officials say the goal was to complete the first phase in time for the World Cup, which begins later this month.
WSB Radio’s MaryRyan Howarth contributed to this story.