For anyone who has had a complaint about the state of the restrooms at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, change is coming.
At the end of April, Swinerton will begin the first phase of construction on a multiyear airport bathroom overhaul project, starting with six pairs of restrooms and several family restrooms across the North Terminal and Concourses T, C and F.
Swinerton has the contract for the first of six phases of a $200 million project to rehabilitate all the airport’s restrooms, which is partly funded by a federal grant.
The restrooms they’re working on, comprising 99 restroom stalls and 30 urinals, haven’t been redesigned since they were built, senior project manager Eddie Einem told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Some date to 1980, and the company will be redoing many of their layouts to improve flow.
Overnight crews will work in phases to limit disruption to passengers, he said, though people shouldn’t be surprised to see redirection to other restrooms while the work is ongoing. When a certain restroom pair is closed, he said, folks likely will have to follow signage to the nearest alternative a few hundred feet away.
It’ll be worth it, he predicted.
“Those restrooms, if you’ve been in them, they’re not the cleanest,” he said. “I’ve gone in there to wash my hands and the soap thing is not working, or I can’t get the water to come out in one sink.”
When this first phase wraps in the first quarter of 2026, the 12 new restrooms will be cleaner, everything will work and their layouts will be more efficient and accessible for those with disabilities and those rolling luggage, he said.
Swinerton’s other active airport construction projects include a revamp of Transportation Security Administration break rooms and of the airport’s personnel badging office with its partner WEBMyers Construction.
Einem said operating at the airport presents special challenges, including an absence of storage space and security hurdles to get personnel in and out every day.
In addition, the bathroom project is complex because of what’s below it: baggage handling, Delta offices, the Plane Train tunnel and even storage space for aircraft tugs that pull planes around the property, Einem said.
“That requires a lot of extra investigation and to understand the airport itself … and what’s underneath it,” he said.
Hartsfield-Jackson previously found that “based on anticipated 2028 passenger demand, the domestic terminal, international terminal and majority of concourses lacked sufficient square footage for restroom facilities to meet the anticipated short-term demand.”
The entire project will renovate all 34 existing restroom pairs and add five new ones. Airport officials hope to finish all six phases by 2031.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the name of Swinerton.
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