AASHTO Journal, 10 August 2012
Georgia Department of Transportation completed a bridge that carried traffic over a CSX Railroad line nine months ahead of schedule, cutting down on congestion and increasing safety.
The railroad crossing at Murray County Road #19/Old Federal Road was becoming increasingly congested, mostly due to the 30 or so trains that passed through the route per day. Sharing that space were roughly 1,850 vehicles, the drivers of which were finding it more and more difficult to get through the area in a timely manner. Also a problem was the lack of access for emergency vehicles, as the rail traffic often slowed or even stopped ambulances, fire trucks, and others from getting to their destinations quickly.
GDOT decided to construct a bridge to carry traffic on Old Federal Road over the CSX Railroad in order to alleviate these issues. The project began in September 2011 with an April 2013 completion date in mind.
Rogers Bridge Company, Inc. was awarded the contract with GDOT, and both parties worked closely together along with CSX Railroad to make sure everything was well-coordinated. The team used creative design and construction methods and took advantage of the mild weather and the availability of construction crews.
GDOT found itself working very quickly and efficiently, soon operating far ahead of schedule. In fact, the $1.88 million bridge opened up to traffic on Friday, Aug. 3 — a full nine months ahead of schedule.
The new bridge will reduce congestion and help to improve the flow of traffic for the almost 2,000 drivers traveling to their destinations over the bridge each day. First responders and emergency vehicles no longer have to wait for trains to pass to help out citizens in trouble. Drivers will also be much safer than before, not having to share the roadway with oncoming trains.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials features a Project of the Week in each edition of the AASHTO Journal to highlight excellent state transportation department projects that are completed on time, under budget, and/or using innovative management. To nominate a completed project that meets these criteria, please e-mail editor AT aashtojournal.org. Previous Project of the Week selections are available at projectprofiles.transportation.org.