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It was the most expensive transportation project in Georgia’s history … for all of 10 minutes.
The eye-popping $4.6 billion Ga. Highway 400 express lane project grabbed headlines at the State Transportation Board meeting Aug. 15, overshadowing the $1.2 billion rebuilding of the I-285 interchange at I-20 west of Atlanta, which was approved by the board just minutes before.
Still, the freeway interchange project is likely to be the one that Metro Atlanta drivers are most looking forward to seeing completed due to it often being the scene of nightmarish traffic delays.
In fact, the I-285/I-20 West interchange is so heavily traveled that it is currently ranked as the 5th most congested freeway junction in the U.S. by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI).
On Aug. 15, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) announced that it had awarded Legacy Infrastructure Contractors LLC with a $1.248 billion contract to complete final design and construction of the massive highway project to allow the public private partnership (P3) to move forward.
Located near Atlanta, in the counties of Fulton, Cobb and Douglas, building effort is also one of the state’s Major Mobility Investment Program (MMIP) projects.
The building team consists of Marietta, Ga.’s C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. Inc. as the lead construction contractor, and Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering PLLC, based in West Columbia, S.C., working as the primary engineering firm.
The joint venture’s proposal to GDOT indicated that it successfully maintains its important position in the Georgia transportation market by training local talent and building large, quality projects in-state and nationally.
The state transportation agency said in a statement that it used a best-value procurement method for the design-build-finance project, which scores both technical approach and financial proposals.
“We’re excited to start the next phase of this project, which will improve safety for motorists and freight along this interchange,” noted Matthew Fowler, a project manager with GDOT. “As part of Georgia’s Freight Plan, this project is a great opportunity to alleviate congestion and enhance safety for all users.”
Heavy Traffic Likely to Complicate Corridor’s Upgrades
Plans call for the design-build team to reconstruct and widen several interstate system-to-system ramps at the I-285/I-20 interchange and add a combination of collector-distributor lanes and auxiliary lanes along I-20 west and I-285 north of the interchange.
The effort is designed to improve traffic flow within the interchange and along I-20, from Factory Shoals Road to Hamilton E. Holmes Drive, as well as enhance safety and operations within the project limits.
Proposed improvements to the interchange include:
- The removal of left-hand ramp entrance and exit ramps from the I-285/I-20 interchange.
- Improving its geometric design and vertical grades.
- Constructing two-lane ramps within the interchange.
- Creating westbound collector-distributor lanes from the I-285/I-20 West interchange to Fulton Industrial Boulevard.
- Adding more lanes along I-20 from Factory Shoals Road to Hamilton E. Holmes Drive, a distance of approximately 6 mi.
- Building roughly 2 mi. of additional lanes along I-285 from Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway south to MLK Jr. Drive to accommodate interchange improvements.
- Modifying and/or replacing bridge structures and ramps in the freeway interchange and along I-20, including those over Fulton County’s CSX Rail line and the Chattahoochee River
The project has been in development since 2018 and got under way soon after the MMIP was announced.
GDOT anticipates that construction will begin in 2025 and be substantially completed in 2030, although that timetable is subject to change.
The transportation agency plans, constructs, and maintains Georgia’s state and federal highways. In addition, it is involved in bridge, waterway, public transit, rail, general aviation, bike and pedestrian programs. Local governments within the state also are assisted by GDOT in maintaining their roads.
GDOT and its nearly 4,000 employees are committed to delivering a transportation system focused on innovation, safety, sustainability and mobility. The department’s vision is to boost Georgia’s competitiveness through leadership in transportation.
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