While iron workers were topping out the Midfield Terminal structure, a much lower area of Metro Airport was continuing to get attention by the building trades.

Many hands are applying the finishing touch to a 1,000-foot-long vehicular tunnel under one of Metro's runway that is part of the north-south access road through the airport complex. It is one of three tunnels in the thoroughfare, and each tunnel has three tubes: a service tunnel, and one each for north and southbound traffic. The other tunnels are 1,200 feet long and 300 feet long.

Walbridge-Aldinger is acting as general contractor on the $144 million, four-mile-long South Access Road. The 1,000-foot-long tunnel, which extends under a crosswinds runway, was made famous in May 1999 when the trades placed a world record 20,917 cubic yards of concrete in 22 hours, 57 minutes. It was the largest pour ever in a 24-hour period.

Project Director Awadh Prasad said the tile masons are placing close to 500,000 square-feet of tile over the concrete walls of the tunnel. "Nothing special, just glazed white ceramic tile," Prasad said. "The tile will improve the tunnel's aesthetics and provide a little more reflective light."

Shores Tile is handling the tile portion of the project, which is employing 20-25 workers on any given day.

"This is a huge tile job, but these days, everything is big here at Metro Airport," said Walbridge Project Supt. Dave Abrams.

EIGHT-INCH WHITE tiles - and lots of them - are placed by Larnell Johnson and Terry Livingston of Tile, Marble and Terrazzo Workers Local 32.