Arlington, VA
TMG, via joint venture firm AKHI Construction, LLC, performed extensive design-build upgrades of temporary force protection and access control measures at to secure the installation from unauthorized pedestrian and vehicle access, intercept contraband, and maximize vehicular traffic flow.
Improvements at each access control point (ACP) include the replacement of the temporary police booth with a permanent gatehouse and ID check area; replacement of the outdated security equipment; upgraded security lighting; and the refinement of roadway geometry to meet current UFC and SDDCTEA standards and other operational requirements. Additional improvements at included traffic channeling to separate access to the ACP from the South parking area. The improvements are designed to accommodate a variety of vehicle types.
Civil work included the construction of a pedestrian route equipped with anti‐pedestrian fencing and matching full-height entrance gate with card reader security for authorized personnel, as well as an accessible route connecting to existing routes outside the project limits for unauthorized pedestrians. Pedestrian routes included wayfinding signs to the appropriate entrances. Other work included the installation of K-12-rated bollards with decorative covers around the gatehouse and center traffic island, concrete knee walls, K-12-rated fencing, swing gates, and the removal of an existing concrete median and sidewalk.
Each ACP included a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera system; security lighting, security alarm system; communications system; back-up power system; traffic-control system; accessible and secure pedestrian routes; active vehicle barriers and control system; and access control mounts. The CCTV system, in particular, includes cameras, digital video recorders (DVR), monitors, and controls installed at the pre-screening and final screening areas, vehicle inspection areas, and active vehicle barrier (AVB) areas.
The gatehouse and central monitoring station were equipped with a camera monitoring system, as well as a security system that includes duress alarms and intrusion detection. Special lighting was installed at the approach zone, ID check/screening area, response zone, vehicle inspection areas, active barrier areas, and parking areas, in addition to the installation of a back-up power system to provide an uninterruptible power supply at each ACP.
The project required approvals from both the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) and the Washington Headquarters Service (WHS). The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) also approved the aesthetic features of all architectural elements of the project.