Atlanta Five Points MARTA station closes street entrances this summer due to construction

Closing road access to MARTA’s rail service hub will be a major disruption for many passengers. The agency plans to mitigate the problems, Chief Capital Officer Carrie Rocha told a MARTA board committee Thursday.

“These construction periods are disruptive and we try to do what we can to manage them,” Rocha told the board.

MARTA is planning a major facelift for Five Points. It will remove a concrete canopy over the station plaza, install a translucent roof, build new bus platforms at street level and add green space.

The $230 million project would be financed primarily with funds from a half-cent sales tax for mass transit expansion that Atlanta voters approved in 2016. The agency also received a $25 million federal grant and $13.8 million in state funding for the project.

Credit: Special

Credit: Special

MARTA reopened its airport station Monday after six weeks of work. But the Five Points project is massive and more disruptive in comparison.

The work will require MARTA to reroute many bus routes that terminate in or pass through Five Points. The agency will also move some services to Ashby police station, including its lost and found, rides store and central police station. Rocha told the board that MARTA police will still patrol Five Points.

The agency is planning a major advertising campaign as the work approaches. Rocha said MARTA will communicate with riders, area residents and downtown businesses to alleviate issues.

The agency will, among other things, install new orientation signs and convey the message to passengers on buses and stations.