ACTT Workshop: Georgia
I-75 from SR 54 North to Aviation Boulevard - for HOV Lanes

Chapter 3: Skill Set Recommendations

3.1. Construction

Total Directional Closure & Interchange Closures

• Close one direction at a time and use alternate routes.
• Use I-20 to I-285 to I-675 as the primary alternate.
• Include specified maximum closure times and the appropriate incentives/disincentives.

Partial Closures

• Consider partial closures if total closure isn't feasible.
• Widen the outside southbound first and shift traffic to the widened area; then close the northbound totally.
• Allow two lanes for northbound traffic in the southbound area (counterflow).
• Consider other partial closure scenarios.

Preliminary Work

• Perform any preliminary work ahead of mainline work.
• Do preparatory work on primary alternate route: I-675 at I-75.
• Add acceleration/deceleration lanes.
• Extend the six-lane section south to the I-75 merge.
• Consider other work:
  • Overpass structures.
  • Drainage, grading and fencing.
  • Retaining walls and sound walls. Consider precast, prefabricated and standardized.

Public Involvement/Public Relations

• Involve major stakeholders early and keep them informed as part of the process.
• Conduct a major PR campaign for closures.
• Get information to tourists.
• Consider incentives like free express buses.

Design Elements

• Consider elevated HOV lanes in restricted areas:
  • At interchanges for HOV access/exit.
  • In environmental areas, i.e., wetlands.
• Shift centerline and alignment.
  • Could be either temporary or permanent.
  • Would facilitate lane closures, traffic flow and geometrics.

Innovative Contracting

• Use incentives and disincentives, A-plus-B contracting and interim completion dates.
• Consider lane rentals and design-build (D-B).
• Make Value Engineering (VE) proposals more attractive.
• Coordination of FAA Project @ Aviation Blvd
• Consider DOT construction management for the whole corridor.

Project Administration Streamlining

• Use submittal processing.
• Have higher approval authority for contract change orders at the project level.
• Have an active advisory team.
• Use electronic document control.
• Conduct regular tests and inspections.

One Total Construction Contract

• Use one contract to facilitate coordination and expedite the construction process.
• Use special prequalifications.
• Hold a mandatory pre-bid conference.
• Make advance plans available.

Constructibility Review

• Hold reviews beginning at the early design stage.
• Include industry, DOT, FHWA, FAA, the Atlanta Airport, utilities, environmental agencies and other major design stakeholders in the process.

3.2. Geometrics

The geometrics team recommended using barrier-separated HOV where possible because of safety, operational, enforcement and pricing concerns:

• Build the barrier section with the expectation of having two HOV lanes; buy ROW and build the structure cost effectively.
• Eliminate the slip ramps at JC Penney and Lynwood Drive. This would address safety issues and eliminate operational problems caused by weaves to the slip ramps from the mainline.
• Improve secondary roads and connections to provide easier access to the HOV lanes.
• Allow one to three miles between drop ramps: proper HOV interchange spacing would reduce turbulence and provide the best access to the HOV interchange.
  • Consider a full diamond interchange at Aviation Blvd.
  • Construct a split diamond HOV interchange at Bob White northbound and Old Dixie southbound.
• Provide wishbone access from the I-75 HOV lanes to the C-D roads to I-285, since the connection between the I-75 HOV lanes and I-285 is imperative.
• Do not use D-B: the complexity is too great.
• Coordinate with Transit and Park & Ride.

The team made the following structure joint notations:

• The C-D system/wishbones/elevated interchange with I-285 will be dependent upon funding.
• Realignment of I-75 to the west in the northern portion would be expensive.
• They would prefer a half-diamond HOV interchange at Bob White Trail, north side. (Local roads must still be reworked.)
• Realignment of Forest Parkway is recommended to facilitate traffic flow during construction.

3.3. Innovative Contracting and Financing

Financing Goals

• Identify new financing sources.
• Consider public-private partnerships (PPP) - private equity or debt.
• Use the Fast Forward bonding program.
• Bonds should be applied to the construction phase.
• Bonds would be repaid with State and Federal funds.

Prioritized Financing Recommendations

1. Encourage private participation in a PPP with a toll facility. Public-private transportation legislation is in place.
2. Reallocate resources/funding to accelerate the project.
3. Build and manage a toll facility (100% public funds).
4. Implement a sales tax, a user fee based on a defined area or a mileage fee based on miles driven.
5. Apply for TIFIA, Transportation Infrastructure Finance & Innovation Act Federal credit assistance.
6. Use SIB loans - would require State legislation and a capitalization source.

Additional Considerations

• Issue tax-exempt bonds through Section 63-20 and/or proposed Private Activity provisions.
• Fund construction sooner with GRB by reallocating bond proceeds from other projects.
• Include HOT (High Occupancy Tolls) or TOT (Truck Only Tolls) for tolling concept.

Contracting Goals

• Shorten the schedule.
• Minimize the impacts to traffic.
• Guarantee quality.

Delivery Options

D-B (Design-Build) Option

• Eliminate the $10 million statutory cap.
• Award a single contract.
• Assign dedicated project management personnel.
• Consider a PPP contract that includes finance, operations and maintenance.

D-B-B (Design-Bid-Build) Option

• Assign a dedicated project manager.
• Perform a third-party constructibility review.
• Allow contractor-designed traffic staging/management.
• Use D-B for specific features.
• To implement Fast Forward, augment program delivery capability.
  • Outsourcing.
  • PPP.
  • GDOT staff.

Procurement

• Use cost-plus-time (A-plus-B) bidding to shorten the schedule.
• Solicit alternate bids when there's no change in the environmental impact.
• For D-B or PPP delivery, use a two-step best-value selection process featuring cost and other factors. Amend State legislation, if necessary.
• For D-B-B delivery, use special prequalifications to shortlist qualified contractors.

Contract Management

• Use incentives and disincentives for construction time.
• Implement traffic management incentives and disincentives.
• Use lane rental: assess daily/hourly rental fees for taking lanes/ramps out of service.
• Use travel time: compensate the contractor for reduced travel time, or assess contractor for excess travel time.
• Provide temporary transit alternatives during construction.

Administrative Procedures

• Use the following to accelerate construction:
  • Partnering.
  • Advisory team issue resolution (during design and construction).
  • Mediation.
  • Mandatory pre-bid meeting.
  • Pre-construction workshops with third-party coordination.
  • Public outreach.

Quality Management

• Include quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) specifications and quality-based incentives.
• Include performance specifications.
• Require a pavement warranty.

3.4. Public Relations

GDOT Messages

• Establish a project team with representation from all areas.
• Coordinate with GDOT communications office on all messaging, logos, signs and pr efforts statewide, including consultant projects. The inconsistency in HOV/carpool lane signing in Atlanta is a case in point.
• Begin coordination during the planning process, and include it in every stage forward.

Research

• Hire a media-messaging consultant.
• Research best management practices in State and nationally.

Market Survey

• Identify project stakeholders.
• Identify the cultures and communities that will be affected.
• Find what resonates with the public.
• Ascertain how the public wants to receive information.

Objectives and Strategies

• Share market survey results internally.
• Utilize the market survey results to further community outreach during the environmental phase.
• Work with the project team to develop future strategies, measures and themes with the intent to preserve the fabric of the community as much as possible.
• Do follow-up surveys to determine the effectiveness of the measures used and to adjust tactics as needed.

Tactics

• Promote at umbrella and community-specific levels.
• Target your message.
  1. Businesses.
  2. Community.
  3. Government.
  4. Media.
  5. Internal audience.
• Define campaign specifics.
• Share changes and success stories.
• Involve communications staff in designing the preliminary engineering scope of work.
• Make public outreach a standing component in construction budget.
• Ensure that the communications office is the central point of contact/oversight for all communications efforts.
• Use a "countdown to completion" and related incentives/disincentives.
• Secure professional endorsements.
• Consider third-party endorsements.

Other Issues

• Consider linking this project to reconstruction of the SR-54 interchange and any other local projects.
• If directional lane closures are used:
  • Elevate the public information campaign and the associated funding.
  • Consider hiring a consultant.
  • Consider additional elements such as billboards and outreach to other states.

3.5. Structures

Key Recommendations

• Place HOV lanes next to the median.
• Consider a half diamond design at Bob White Trail.
• Build just north of the existing bridge.
• Consider temporary closure of the Bob White Trail bridge if the alignment isn't shifted.
• Redo local/frontage roads at the SR-85 interchange and from Bob White Trail to US-19/41.
• Realign the Forest Parkway ramp to improve traffic and the maintenance of traffic during reconstruction.
• Accelerate Forest Parkway and US-41 to minimize impacts.
• Accelerate the project by optimizing the schedule:
  • Prefabrication.
  • Pre-assembly.
  • D-B.
• Allow alternatives such as the use of existing piers.

General Bridge Issues

• Remove and replace walls where needed. Use MSE walls.
• Consider different material/construction methods:
  • Use earth walls at Bob White Trail bridge.
  • Use maturity meters.
  • Consider including road user costs in comparing options - but they must be defined.
• Use pre-stressed beams for:
  • Forest Parkway - both bridges.
  • Bob White Trail.
  • US-41.
• Use curved steel girder on the Forest Parkway ramp.
• Make Lynwood Drive a normal steel widening project.

3.6. Traffic/Safety/ITS

Traffic Goals

• Improve air quality.
• Reduce congestion.
• Maintain traffic during construction.
• Maximize HOV/HOT.
• Minimize impacts on the public and local businesses.

Traffic Recommendations

• Develop the concept of operations.
  • Conduct an origin-destination study to identify what type of traffic this facility is going to serve: short-trip or longer-distance commuters (those traveling more than 10-12 miles).
  • Make a choice between express/HOV/HOT/commercial truck lanes or a combination thereof.
• Plan for maintenance of traffic during construction.
  • Prepare a traffic impact statement.
  • Prepare for closures and use of alternate routes.
  • Flexible closures: full/staged/time of day/time of week.
  • Use of I-675.
  • Upgrading of crossroads or parallel routes.
  • Use of incentives/disincentives in regards to their impact on the public.
  • Use of free buses to promote temporary or long-term mode shift.
  • Identification of staff to communicate with public (local and through traffic) and with project/GDOT staff.
• Incorporate/promote Park and Ride facilities.

Safety Goals

• Reduce accidents.
• Provide effective incident management.

Safety Recommendations

• Evaluate the use of barrier or buffer (striped) lane separation.
• Implement enforcement/crash investigation sites.
• Coordinate with local jurisdictions and facilities.
• Have pre-defined incident response plans (including during the construction phase).
• Use HERO, an "on-call" wrecker service and local officials.
• Use toll tag requirements and locations.
• Use vertical screens in the work zone to prevent rubbernecking.

ITS Goals

• Use the Transportation Management Center (TMC) for continuity of operations.

ITS Recommendations

• Replace the current fiber optics network with wireless communications.
• Provide enforcement utilizing available technologies.
• Provide real-time traveler information to the public.
• Depending on the ultimate concept, install and use ramp meters.
• Utilize smart work zones/portable trailers.
• Use dynamic message signs (DMS), closed circuit television (CCTV) and detectors to support HOV/HOT lane operations.