Hartsfield-Jackson implodes 14-story former Sheraton hotel tower
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport destroyed the 14-story former Sheraton hotel, located at 1900 Sullivan Road, by implosion on Sunday. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
COLLEGE PARK - Crews with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport destroyed the 14-story former Sheraton hotel, located at 1900 Sullivan Road, by implosion on Sunday.
The demolition occurred at approximately 7:30 a.m.
The 395-room hotel served travelers near the airport for about three decades.
The implosion was part of a project for an expanded cargo area and a sixth runway at Atlanta's airport.
Bringing the building down took lots of planning. Demolition crews coordinated with the airport to pause flights near the runway.
People were cautioned to wear masks and close their windows to prevent dust.
Traffic was paused inside the designated exclusion zone. Airport Boulevard at Riverdale Road and Sullivan Road between Riverdale Road and Massachusetts Boulevard were closed until 11:30 a.m.
Officials said about 1,300 pounds of dynamite and 10,000 feet of detonation cord were used to execute the implosion.
"This took us about 12 months of meticulous planning with our joint venture partner, our planning and development team and our stakeholders in College Park," Hartsfield-Jackson Interim Manager Balram Bheodari said.
After a countdown of 10, several charges detonated one after another and the small blasts could be seen through the former hotel's windows.
After a few suspenseful seconds, the hotel began to give way. The bricks fell in waves, from one side to another. All that was left of the hotel was a cloud of dust.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport destroyed the 14-story former Sheraton hotel, located at 1900 Sullivan Road, by implosion on Sunday. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
Crews got to work clearing the dust from the area.
WATCH: FOX 5 Atlanta live news coverage
_____
Sign up for FOX 5 email alerts
Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app for breaking news and weather alerts.