Atlanta airport preparing for cargo expansion project

Three companies are bidding for a contract to prepare for a major expansion of cargo facilities at the world's busiest airport.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport invited companies to submit bids for a contract for site preparation for a cargo expansion project.

The airport plans to relocate segments of Sullivan Road, relocate utilities and fiber optic cable, relocate Federal Aviation Administration facilities, construct a new police canine facility, complete road modifications, remove the old Eastern Airlines credit union building, remove an airport maintenance building and relocating operations, remove a building used by Gate Gourmet and relocate security fencing.

A joint venture of Archer Western and Lewis Contracting submitted a bid of less than $75.9 million to do the work. C.W. Matthews bid nearly $80 million for the contract, while a joint venture of GSC and Precision 2000 bid about $85.9 million.

The city and airport will review the companies' proposals for responsiveness before determining the winning bidder.

The site preparation work is expected to start this summer and take two years to complete. Hartsfield-Jackson would then turn to a third-party developer to develop new cargo facilities.