Archive Issue

What a year! Intense. Motivating. Satisfying.

The momentum behind the West Point-Interstate 85 Interchange project was simply awesome. Beginning in May 2006, through an on-call task order with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), JJG led a team to provide the preliminary engineering and environmental work, along with contract documents, for the new interchange and over 10 miles of new roadway and bridges under GDOT's first project to be let to construction under Georgia's new Design-Build Legislation. The team included United Consulting Group, Rochester & Associat.... READ MORE

Construction on the largest tunnel in the southeastern United States is on-track to meet the USEPA Consent Decree deadline of November 4, 2008. Completion of the West Area CSO Tunnel and Pumping Station, and a new treatment plant, represents a major milestone in the City of Atlanta's commitment to upgrading its sewer and stormwater treatment system and improving water quality throughout the region.

The $210 million project, which began construction in June 2004, is a major component of Atlanta's Clean Water Program. It consists of two tunnels, the North Avenue tunnel and the Clear .... READ MORE

As the population in Georgia grows, Southern Nuclear (a division of Southern Company) and Georgia Power are looking ahead and anticipating the power generation capacity needed for the future. Part of their proposal for an anticipated 7,000 Megawatt increase in capacity includes two new nuclear reactors to be installed at their Plant Vogtle site.

Plant Vogtle currently operates two 1215 Megawatt (Mw) Westinghouse Pressurized Water Reactors that were completed in 1987 and 1989.

Kristi E. Swartz stated, "Raleigh-based Progress Energy and Charlotte-based Duke Energy Corp. hav.... READ MORE

Thanks to a law passed last year by the Georgia General Assembly, Georgia consumers have new competition for video services.  In 2007, the Consumer Choice for Television Act was sponsored by Representative Jeff Lewis and carried in the Senate by Senator David Shafer.  It was passed overwhelmingly by the Georgia General Assembly and signed by Governor Perdue.  The law allows a service provider to provide video service anywhere in the state after getting a statewide franchise from the Georgia Secretary of State.  In the past, companies had to negotiate individually with every.... READ MORE

Last year, the City of Johns Creek, Georgia, filled 625 potholes, replaced 6,100 square feet of concrete sidewalk, marked 14 miles of pavement, and mowed 600 miles of right-of-way.

The number of city employees needed to accomplish these tasks? Zero.

That's because Johns Creek – a North Fulton County community of about 70,000 residents and the state's 10th-largest city—relies on a private partner to manage the Public Works Department and provide a wide range of public works services. From stormwater management and ditch maintenance to transportation planning, street maintenance .... READ MORE

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is rapidly gaining traction in the design-build industry. The technology is already changing the way buildings are conceived and constructed, but there are also barriers to its widespread adoption. This is the first in a series of articles that provide real-world perspectives on where BIM is today and where it’s headed based on Applied Software’s Executive Roundtable, "Confronting the Challenges and Opportunities in Integrated Practice, Collaborative Design and BIM". The event was held January 29, 2008 in Atlanta. Comprised of panelists representing owners/d.... READ MORE

Currently, the vehicular traffic on the two bridges and the sea-faring traffic are beyond their maximum capacities. "It takes an hour and a half to cross the bridge over the Istanbul Strait during rush hour," said Steen Lykke, the General Project Manager from Avrasyaconsult who works at the construction site and has been assigned to this project since 2002. Both freight and passenger traffic passageways are regularly clogged and travel is consequently sometimes dangerous. "Typically, 55,000 ships pass from north to south, while 250,000 to 300,000 passenger ferries travel from east to west ever.... READ MORE

At some point over the past several years, the public perception of energy stopped being just an irritation about rising prices or the occasional annoyance of possible shortages and became one of the greatest geopolitical, environment, and social issues we all will face over the next
fifty years.

    There are many opinions, theories, and facts behind this change in public awareness. This is a good thing as these are critical issues and people need to be informed and able to debate the options. A sobering fact, however, leads to sobering conclusions—industry and gover.... READ MORE

In March of 2006, The Transit Planning Board (TPB) was created through a memorandum of understanding between the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) and MARTA to resolve a number of issues regarding transit that presently face the metro Atlanta region. Our board is composed of local elected officials, agency representatives, appointees from the Governor and the leadership of all of our key transportation agencies.

The premise behind the TPB is that we have the right people at the table for regional decision making. More importan.... READ MORE

Thomas C. Leslie, P.E.
Director of External Affairs
Georgia Engineering Alliance


The 2008 Georgia General Assembly adjourned at midnight on Friday, April 4th, amid a flurry of activity. In the last few minutes of the session before Sine Die, tax cuts and a referendum on enhanced transportation funding were both rejected. Following these actions, the Senate approved a major reservoir bill (at one minute to midnight) which combined legislation that gives new authority to the State Soil and Water Conservation Commission with legislation that gives new authority to the Geo.... READ MORE