A construction worker was killed July 31 at Tampa International Airport during work on the facility’s Airside A Shuttle Guideway Refurbishment Project.
At around 7:41 a.m., according to the airport, “construction equipment fell off the shuttle track with the operator inside. The operator died as a result of his injuries.”
The airport did not disclose the company for which the individual worked, but says that Johnson-Laux Construction is the general contractor for the project, and that the airport is working closely with that firm to fully understand what happened.
Johnson-Laux Construction was not immediately available for comment Aug. 1.
The airport said in a statement that flight operations were not impacted and passengers being picked up at its Blue Arrivals gate were temporarily rerouted to the Blue Express lanes until the Blue Arrivals area reopened around noon Wednesday.
Expressing his condolences, Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano says in a statement that the airport is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the accident.
The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which operates the airport, has paused all work on the project until further notice for a comprehensive safety review, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was on scene Wednesday to conduct its investigation. Tampa Police and the Tampa International Airport Police Dept. are investigating as well.
The $61-million project to refurbish the Airside A and Airside C shuttles began in April 2023, according to TPA, which says the shuttles have been in operation since the 1990s and have run for more than 1 million miles since that time.
The project includes replacing bearing pads that act as shock absorbers under the guideways’ steel supports and completely reconstructing the concrete guideways one lane at a time. Eight new shuttles are part of the project as well, set to arrive this fall and go into service by spring 2025.
