Four months after (delayed) renovations officially kicked off at MARTA’s largest and busiest transit hub, the complex station overhaul is scheduled to enter its next phase in coming weeks, with new closures included. 

MARTA officials report today the so-called “Five Points Transformation” project will enter another phase beginning Monday, Oct. 13, when the station’s Peachtree Street entrance and a tunnel connection for downtown federal employees will both be closed. 

That means, come mid-October, the Forsyth Street entrance at Five Points will be the only place for customers to enter the transit station, with the other entry points blocked by construction.  

Closing the federal tunnel and Peachtree Street entrance is necessary for the safe demolition and removal of Five Points’ concrete canopy, according to MARTA officials. 

A refined preview depicting how the opened-up transit hub could look and function. Courtesy of MARTA

Five Points patrons should also expect temporary stair and escalator closures in coming weeks leading up to the Peachtree Street entrance being shut down, though elevators will remain open. Disruptions will allow crews to install scaffolding and overhead protection to prep for the concrete canopy’s removal, per MARTA. 

No Five Points rail services or transfers will be changed, and all buses will continue boarding on Forsyth Street. All restrooms and entrances at the Alabama Street and Broad Street Plaza will remain closed. 

Once the canopy is extracted, future Five Points phases will see a new, more transparent canopy installed, alongside an improved Broad Street pedestrian connection and centralized bus hub. Other planned additions include community spaces, agriculture, and public art. 

The current canopy has been subjected to decades of water intrusion that’s led to damage around the station, including to crucial electric train control equipment, according to MARTA.   

Once the overhaul is finished, MARTA hopes the bunker-like, 1970s transit hub will be more of a vibrant, centralized city center with smoother access to trains and buses.

MARTA officials have said the full Five Points renovation is estimated to take four years, but that street-level access won’t be impacted for that long. The tentative reopening date is sometime in 2029. 

MARTA

Transit agency officials said Monday the project is still expected to cost roughly $230 million. That’s being funded mostly through the More MARTA Atlanta half-penny sales tax, with another $13.8 million from the State of Georgia and a $25 million Federal RAISE Grant. The remaining funding is being sourced from the MARTA core penny tax. 

Swing up to the gallery for a quick refresher on what the Five Points Transformation entails. 

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