In 2019, drivers around Atlanta spent more than 80 hours stuck in traffic - generating
pollution and frustration, while costing each of them over USD $1,200 on average.
The nightmare is typical of cities across the US - a country that’s seen infrastructure
investment as a share of GDP steadily fall, despite its population growing.
In the absence of a federal plan, Georgia’s state capital is now embarking on a
multi-billion-dollar push to fix its challenges.
But with a city to keep moving, a deep-rooted culture of driving, huge sites spread over
several miles and the world’s busiest airport on its doorstep - the task is not exactly
straightforward.
This is the story of one team’s quest to tackle Atlanta’s traffic problem - that
holds lessons for cities across America.
Right around the US, infrastructure is creaking.
Ageing airports, dams, rail lines and energy networks are in urgent need of upgrading or
replacing altogether. Years of neglect have left some bridges on the verge of collapse
while some outdated water systems are putting public health at risk.
22% of the country’s roads are in poor condition and urban traffic congestion
costs US cities billions of dollars each year.
Atlanta is one of the hardest hit centres - and, with the city’s population set to
rise by three million people over the next 30 years, a new Regional Transportation Plan
has been developed; giving commuters more travel options than simply driving.
Investing over USD $170BN through 2050,
the plan includes expanding the Streetcar network
and building new rail lines while investing in cycling and walking routes.
But many of these long-term projects are still awaiting funding or public support, so their
effects won’t be felt for years.
In the meantime, upgrades to some of Atlanta’s heaviest traffic hotspots
are alleviating some of the strain.
One of the biggest projects is an improvement to a northbound stretch of
Interstate 75 - notorious for collisions - as it joins Interstate 285 south of downtown.
Sitting next to Hartsfield-Jackson - the world’s busiest airport - the roadway is a key
connection, linking with the huge perimeter highway that surrounds the city centre.
General contractor Archer Western, part of The Walsh Group, is now midway through the
USD $76M expansion, which involves widening and reconstructing
parts of the busy section.
This particular stretch of road, and that interchange in particular, has long been an
issue but obviously with massive population growth in Atlanta over the last 20 to 30 years
it has become exponentially worse, truthfully.
It’s just gotten to a point where operationally it’s severely outdated
and needed this upgrade.
Heavy traffic is the norm around the intersection
- mainly caused by vehicles weaving between lanes.
To fix this, new collector-distributor – or C-D – lanes are being put in, pushing these
movements back from the junction.
Other changes include a new tunnel bridge and reconfigured ramps for joining traffic.
This is several different kinds of retaining walls, we’ve got some subgraded foundation
reinforcements we’ve got to do that are unique to this project because there’s a
lot of groundwater in this area.
It’s kind of a unique bridge. The actual bridge beams themselves are oriented
perpendicular to the traffic – typically they’re put in parallel and the decks put on top
but this one’s kind of reverse.
All of this is happening on a site that’s spread over several miles,
and with the intersection in near-constant use throughout.
Even when road closures are possible, the team has to work to tight deadlines.
One ramp had to be entirely rebuilt in place over just one weekend
- ready for the Monday rush hour.
The project overall is being built to a much shorter schedule than normal and, with no
space for an on-site office, the team is forced to collaborate over huge distances.
But digital technology is making a big difference.
Traditionally, plans would have been physically printed out and carried
across the site - taking time, costing thousands of dollars in printing
and running the risk of people building from the wrong information.
Every superintendent probably would’ve had a stack five or six inches deep of paper in
the back seat of their truck and then having to get them out on the hood or the tailgate,
and then people from the office printing out new pages with any revisions.
We’ve really eliminated all of that out of the field.
The team’s done this by introducing a tablet-based system, built around Bluebeam Revu.
The software has made the team more productive, allowing superintendents
and engineers to manage and mark up their documents on the move - instantly sharing
comments or changes with a team spread over several miles.
As a project manager at the start of this project my biggest fear is always having the
not most up to date set of plans out in the field and be building
off of those, so using the platform we’ve really been able to mitigate those issues.
I-75 is not the only job where The Walsh Group is going digital.
The team at Miami’s USD $800M Signature Bridge - which features six 100-metre high
illuminated arches - is using Bluebeam for document tracking and control,
and the technology is supporting countless other infrastructure projects across the US.
The challenge of upgrading America’s infrastructure is now immense.
With a repair bill estimated in the trillions,
and difficult decisions to make about priorities,
the country’s new administration has its work cut out with this particular issue.
While the project in Atlanta might seem small in comparison,
it’s typical of the challenge that’s about to be played out on vast sites across the US
- and the approach of this expert team, using technology to plan and keep the city moving
against the odds, is a powerful case study for us all.
This video was made possible by Bluebeam. Learn more at the link below.
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