Thirty-third report of the Georgia Department Transportation to the Governor and General Assembly of the State of Georgia for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1969, and June 30, 1973 [1973]

Quadrennial Report of the
Georgia Department of Transportation .
1969--1973

DOWNING MUSGROVE
COMMISSIONER
EMORY C. PARRISH
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER

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THOMAS D. MORELAND
STATE HIGHWAY ENGINEER
W. M. WILLIAMS SECRETARY-TREASURER

Honorable Jimmy Carter Governor State of Georgia Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Dear Governor Carter:
It is my pleasure on behalf of the State Department of Transportation to submit for your consideration the combined thirty-third and thirty-fourth reports, covering the activities of the Department for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1969 through June 30, 1972.
The report contains information on the organization, functions, operations and accomplishments of the Department of Transportation, and includes a complete statement prepared by the Secretary-Treasurer and Office of General Accounting covering all revenues and expenditures during the quadrennium.
Respectfully submitted,
Downing Musgrove Commissioner

1

Thirty-Third Report Of the
Georgia Department of Transportation
To the Governor and General Assembly
of the State of Georgia
For the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 1969, and June 30, 1973
3

It may Strike Some Readers

as a Bit Confusing

that throughout this report the terminology of reorganization is employed. Although it is true that the Department of Transportation did not actually come into existence until July 1, 1972, the editors have chosen to make all reference to the Highway Department during the fiscal years 19691972 in the terms now operative.
This policy is not without justification. For, in fact, the changes which officially occured on July 1, 1972, were in the embryonic stage for some time before official implementation. Among innovations in this category, the creation of Internal Audits comes immediately to mind. As early as 1968, the processes of fiscal review and managerial analysis were correcting imbalances inside the Department.
Well before July 1, 1972, preparations were made to move air transportation agencies into the Department

of Transportation, and the "total transportation" outlook was already an integral part of the then State Highway Department. The State of Georgia Reorganization and Management Improvement Study had been completed by November of 1971, and Senate Bill No. 499, the Executive Reorganization Act of 1972, was approved on April 6, 1972.
Therefore, instead of using the now-outdated State Highway Department terms, during a period when the Department of Transportation was becoming a reality, this report will examine the Department from a 1973 vantage point. In most cases, this will involve discussing the former divisions as offices, a purely organizational distinction. Overall, for an audience now accustomed to the Department of Transportation jargon, the practice should make reading and reference much easier.
5

MORE THAN 200 MILES ADDED TO THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM
The servicable length of Georgia's Interstate System increased from 580 miles on July 1, 1968, to 797 miles on June 30, 1972.
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS REDUCE HIGHWAY FATALITY RATE
Signing, striping, skid-resistance tests and new engineering concepts make driving safer on Georgia's highways. Interstate fatality rates are less than one-third those of less sophisticated facilities.
REORGANIZATION COMES TO GEORGIA
The State Highway Department is stream-lined and up-dated to become the Department of Transportation, concerned with the total transportation needs of Georgians, on July 1, 1972.
A NEW TRANSPORTATION CODE AFTER YEARS OF STUDY
DOT moves to reduce the confusion of Georgia's transportation laws. In conjunction with consultants from the University of Georgia School of Law and members of the General Assembly, DOT prepares a new and comprehen sive Transportation Code to meet the needs of total transportation in the 1970's and beyond.
ROAD-GANGS BECOME A PART OF HISTORY
Reorganization calls for the phasing out of convict labor in DOT construction and maintenance by July 1, 1973. The inefficient and expensive anachronism falls before Georgia' s enlightened attitudes toward prison rehabilitation.
PUBLIC HEARINGS INCREASE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
An innovation now limited to Federal-Aid Projects, public hearings on location and design may be incorporated into all projects in the future. The public now has a greater voice than ever in the roads so important in everyday life and work.
ENVIRONMENT BECOMES A DOT CONCERN
Federal guidelines and grass-roots sentiment have increased DOT awareness of the importance of social and physical environment, and DOT has responded by adding environmentalists to it~ planning staff. In addition to engineering and safety factors, the impact of transportation on environment, society and economy is now considered in planning transportation in Georgia.
6

DOT HIGHLIGHTS 1968-1972
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE
Rights-of-way acquisition for Federal-Aid Projects becomes more citizenoriented as DOT implements a program of relocation assistance for residents and businesses displaced by construction. Money and aid replace the neglect of the past.
MOTORIST-AID PROGRAM BEGINS
Stranded motorists are no longer left to their own devices during emergencies on Georgia's Interstate highways, but can now count on help from motorist-aid personnel. DOT assists drivers in the repair of vehicles and provides transportation to service facilities.
ROADSIDE PARKS AND REST AREAS
Fatigued motorists on Georgia's Interstates can loqk for even more of the attractive, welldesigned parks and rest areas appearing on Interstates. Most are equipped with rest rooms, attendants and public telephones, and all offer an oasis for tired drivers.
A NEW, INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF SIGNS ON GEORGIA ROADS
Georgia has progressed on schedule with the installation of its system of symbol signs, modeled after the inter national signing system. The new signs eliminate the barriers of language and allow motorists to unde11stand their message with less effort.
TOPICS HELPS GEORGIA CITIES IMPROVE TRAFFIC
-The Traffic Operations Program to Increase Capacity and Safety offers relief to accident-ridden and traffic-congested Georgia cities. Under this program, Federal and State funds support study and improvement of road conditions that reduce traffic movement and cause accidents.
AT LAST, THE TOLLWAYS COME TO GEORGIA
Georgia's General Assembly improves the state's bonding cap_acities, and planning for a system of tollways begins, with projects slated for Atlanta and West Georgia. This concept ofuser-support highway systems has been successful elsewhere in the country and promises to bring relief to the congestion of Georgia roads.
7

FROM CONCEPTION TO CONSTRUCTION, THE HIGHWAY BUILDING PROCESS IN THE 70's
8

One of the

Most Remarkable

Changes

in the State Highway Department from 1968 through 1972 was the ever-increasing emphasis placed on the planning phase of highway construction.
With a marked increase in the number of public hearings, begun in 1961 to ensure that Georgians have a say in the roads so important in their lives, and with intensified environmental planning, protecting Georgians from unnecessary destruction of their natural resources the time and effort involved in the total process-from identification of need to the actual construction-of highway building grew dramatically.
The State Highway Department worked closely with legislative groups to produce an organizational structure (the present Department of Transportation) capable of more effectively handling the greater workload. New employees, from computer specialists to environmentalists, had to be recruited by the Department as planning and programming functions became more sophisticated than ever before.
Public hearings produced some headaches for engineers long accustomed to designing and building

roads with the general support of Georgia's citizens, but what emerged was a responsive, more democratically oriented transportation effort.
FEDERAL-AID PROJECTS
The total process of programming, planning, designing and constructing a Federal-Aid project can be divided basically into five stages. As a result of a growing concern for Georgia's citizens on the part of both DOT and the Federal Highway Administration, the process involved with Federal-Aid projects has become considerably more complex than in the past. However, the very complexity and length of the steps now involved have also reduced the possibility of errors in socioeconomic and environmental planning and in engineering design. The built-on checks of the conception to construction process today, while costing more in time and money, ensure that Georgians receive the best in transportation facilities.
The Department continually studies existing facilities in the state and establishes priorities for
9

future projects through the collection and evaluation of data on traffic now and safety problems.
These conclusions, along with public requests, suggestions from local governments and direction from the Transportation Commissioner and Board, are the primary sources of establishing needs for new or improved facilities. In addition, the Georgia General Assembly, by means of its budgeting powers, can direct the Department to study and eventually implement a new project.
Once a need is identified in one of these ways, a complex balancing of relevant factors-population, labor force, employment, housing, autos, traffic now, environment, budget resources-takes place in an interchange between planning branches and local sources, especially local officials and the Area Planning and Development Commission.
If the results are positive, the need is listed in the Department's twenty-year program, updated annually, and set in the five-year work program and budget, also revised annually.
Deciding on the Location
The moving force in the beginning_ of this stage is the Office of Surveys and Aerial Mapping, which employs an airplane and aerial cameras for plotting alternate routes for the project. On the basis of graphic information obtained from Surveys and Aerial Mapping and input from local sources, the Division of Planning and Programming can begin compiling the necessary information for the Environmental Impact Statement, the Location Study Report and the relocation plan.
The Location Study Report also makes use of whatever social and economic impact information comes to the attention of the Office of Right-of-Way during its field work. Considerations of engineering difficulties and costs are reported through the Division of Planning and Programming and the applicable Office of Design.
Finally, the Division of Planning and Programming circulates the draft Environmental Impact Statement, obtaining comments from state and local agencies and resolving differences; advertises and conducts public
10

location hearings, and applies for Federal Highway Administration approval of the chosen location.
Designing the Road
With the location selected and federally approved, the project properly enters the pre-construction stage. The OfficeofRight-of-Wayprepares a detailed relocation study for residents and businesses affected, the Office of Construction inspects the location to determine construction feasibility and identify potential problems, and the Office of Surveys and Aerial Mapping, working with the Office of Design considers design alternatives and prepares for ground survey.
The Office of Materials and Tests can now carry out roadway subsurface soil sampling and lab analysis, while the Offices of Bridge Design and Utilities can make their initial estimates on the problems and costs to be encountered. Concurrently, the Office of Traffic and Safety reviews safety factors of the projected facility, and the Office of Right-of-Way gathers specific data on bounds, comers, and other necessary factors.
When the draft of the proposed design has been completed, a Plans, Specifications and Estimates Team from the Office of Construction "walks the line" to carefully inspect all details and determine what final adjustments, if any, are needed.
The Office of Design, armed with the information it needs (checked and rechecked by sister offices), can establish the final design, get completion of the Rightof-Way plan and advertise and hold the design public hearings (concerned solely with design factors, since the location hearings have pr(lviously dealt with environmental factors). Approval of the design is requested from the Federal Highway Administration, and, if granted, the contract may be prepared.
Getting Ready to Let the Contract
Federal approval allows the Office of Right-of-Way to begin purchasing property and disposing of surplus buildings. Relocation assistance plans are prepared for residents of the area, so that no one suffers unduely from the project.
The final construction plan is compiled, noting

specifications and prov1s1ons that will appear in the contract: type of surfacing, details of design and environmental ameliorative measures. Federal Highway Administration approval is then requested.
The Office of Contracts Administration can then put the construction plan and specifications into form for letting. After General Accounting has established that funds are available for the project, the contract is presented to the Transportation Board for approval at the next letting. Bids, sealed until the very minute of the letting session, are announced, and, if the lowest bid compares favorably with the DOT estimate, the award is made.
At Last, Construction Begins
It is standard practice for a member of the Office of Construction and the District Resident Engineer, who will take direct responsibility for the project, to hold a pre-construction conference with the contractor. At this meeting, design details are clarified, and as many

questions as possible are settled before construction begins.
The relationships established in the pre-construction conference continue throughout construction. The District Engineer, the District Resident Engineer, and representatives from the Office of Construction, as well as the Federal Highway Administration, monitor the entire project for quality control, adherence to environmental protection measures stipulated in the DOT Action Plan, necessary changes in plans and any problems developing in the course of construction. If contract changes are required, the Office of Contracts Administration obtains the necessary approval from the Federal Highway Administration.
When the work is finished and the Resident Engineer is convinced that the contractual obligations have been satisfied, the Office of Construction makes a final inspection. Acceptance of the project on behalf of the state is made by this office.
The road is opened to traffic, and responsibility for its upkeep falls to the Office of Highway Maintenance, which repairs the road as needed. Since the

Bridge cmstruction for the period covered by this report totaled 469 new bridges for a cost of $72,616 ,038.00.
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Deadline for standardized highway stripping was December, 1972. This is part of the "new look" in highway traffic engineering. The other parts are standardized traffic signals and international signs.
road builders learn through experience, as well as by testing and laboratory research, the newly-completed road marks an improvement in the quality and safety of highways over existing facilities.
STATE-AID PROJECTS
When no federal funds are involved, a project

normally follows a somewhat abbreviated sequence designed to move it along more quickly and to maintain local control of activities with state monitoring. The ~ reports and detailed studies required by the Federal Highway Administration do not assume the strictly defined format that they must on Federal-Aid projects, although much the same information goes into the decision-making and planning process.
Right-of-Way on these projects is usually acquired by the County, and the system of checks and balances is drastically simplified, with the District Engineer assuming responsibility for the final design and cost estimates.
On the larger and more potentially problematical State-Aid projects, the steps from conception to con
struction assume a format more in keeping with Federal Aid procedures.
The Department is currently considering incor porating Federal-Aid procedures into more and more State-Aid projects, since, in spite of its greater costs
the more complex five-stage process has greatly reduced the margin of error in highway construction.

As of June 30, 1972, plans were on the drawingboard in various stages of completion for 17 interstate projects totaling 202 miles.
12

As of June 30, 1972, Georgia's Federal-aid Primary System totaled 8,400 miles, including 797 miles of interstate open to traffic.
13

REORGINIZATION
14

In any Bureaucracy, Public

or Private,

some of the greatest problems are managerial - efficient delegation of responsibility, avoiding the duplication of services, proper inter-agency or divisional relationships and communication and the assignment of personnel to the duties and locations requiring the greatest attention.
During the years 1969-1972, the State of Georgia and the State Highway Department took a long and sometimes painful look at organizational factors which reduced the effectiveness of their efforts.
The Executive Committee on Reorganization and Management Improvement presented its far-reaching suggestions to Governor Jimmy Carter in November, 1971. On April 6, 1972, Senate Bill No. 499, the Executive Reorganization Act of 1972, received final approval, and the State Highway Department prepared for its official emergence on July 1, 1972, as the Department of Transportation, directed not only to plan, design and build highways, but charged also with the development of a total transportation system.
To this end, transportation functions from other agencies were transferred to the Department of Trans-

portation. From the Department of Industry and Trade came the Office of Aviation Development and programs relating to the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. The State Department of Air Transportation became DOT's Office of Air Transportation, and functions of the State Department of Revenue concerned with the inspection of motor carrier permits were taken by the Office of Permits and Enforcements.
The Department itself was redesigned to ensure better communication among executives and division heads. Most former divisions became offices, grouped by function under three classifications-Highways, subdivided into the Sections of Pre-Construction, Construction, Federal Liaison and Operations, each headed by an Assistant State Highway Engineer, whose activities in turn were coordinated by the State Highway Engineer; Planning and Programming, whose responsibilities were greatly expanded; and Administration, which pulled together previously autonomous offices (Personnel, General Accounting, Audits and Fiscal Procedures, Contracts Administration and the transferred functions of Air Transportation).
15

While responsibility in the Highway Department had been diffused among the many division heads, responsibility in the Department of Transportation is more clearly pinpointed in the division heads and the directors of staff units (Secretary-Treasurer, Internal Audits, Public Information and Executive AssistantTransportation). The division directors, with their powers and responsibilities more clearly defined, now coordinate functions previously carried on without centralized control. The result has been better utilization of manpower, less duplication of effort and better communication.
Control of purchasing, inventories and warehousing, reproduction services, equipment, records management and budgeting was assigned to the Division of Administration, and the Office of General Support Services was organized to administer and coordinate these functions.
Future needs were recognized through the expansion of the Division of Planning and Programming and the creation of the Division of Tollroads. A new District Office was created to serve the Metropolitan Atlanta Area, and the other Districts were realigned accordingly.
The Division of Highways improved quality controls on construction by adopting a system of end-result
Gov. Jimmy Carter signed the significant Georgia Code of PubIic Transportation (Title 95A) into law.
16

inspection according to established specifications. Georgia's outdated truck weighing program was studied, and the 1973 Transportation Code effected the necessary change in laws.
In the realm of maintenance, important changes took place. The much-criticized system of convict labor was scheduled for a July 1, 1973, termination. The Office of Highway Maintenance improved enforcement of maintenance agreements with counties for upkeep of local roads constructed with state funds.
A major aspect of highway building, the acquisition of right-of-way, gained flexibility as negotiation with property owners was added to the standard system of appraisal-offer-acceptance/rejection and condemnation through court action. Standard specifications and increased monitoring of contractors ensured more effective scheduling and better results.
The roles of auditing, management review, and staffing and budgeting underwent change and expansion. The Department was called upon to examine and re-examine its practices in these areas, and, with the use of zero budgeting, to defend its requests for money and personnel annually.
The function of Public Information increased in scope and importance. As transportation facilities become ever more controversial, the public needs a more effective dissemination of facts and more and more information about the goals, plans and day-to-day operation of the Department.
With any new system, there are, naturally, problems. Systems Development and General Support Services have experienced some delays , due to the introduction of inter-departmental requisition procedures and employee unfamiliarity with the new channels of communication. Personnel had to be hired for new programs, and there have been minor initial difficulties in distributing manpower to areas which only came into existence on
July 1, 1972. Finally, after years of following established procedures , many DOT personnel have been forced to re-orientate themselves to new patterns.
However, the overall effect of reorganization has been overwhelmingly beneficial. Lines of communication have tightened, and the future looks bright for the newborn Department of Transportation.

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Rapid transit planning received added emphasis as congestion, pollution, and fuel shortages appeared as major public concerns.
17

DEPARTMENTAL LEADERSHIP
18

With Reorganization the State
Highway Board

was renamed the State Transportation Board and given supervision over duties transferred to the State Department of Transportation. The membership remained the same and the Board's position as head of the Department of Transportation was unchanged.
The renaming provision was, in effect, little more than a minor amendment to a 1963 act of the General Assembly (Act No. 1, Georgia Laws 1963), which, in tum, had amended Georgia'a 1950 reorganization act.
The 1963 act provided for a ten-member Board, with a Chairman and Vice-Chairman elected by the Board from their own number and serving at the Board's pleasure. The Board meets in regular session the third Thursday of each month. Nine of the regular meetings must be held in Atlanta, while three regular meetings may be held elsewhere in the state. Other special meetings may be called by the DOT Commissioner or by a majority of the members of the Board.
The Transportation Board is composed of one

member from each of the ten Congressional Districts. The members, since 1965, are elected for five-year terms by a majority vote in caucus of House and Senate members elected from districts wholly or partially contained within the specific Congressional District.
The Board maintains general control and supervision of the Department, setting policy for the Department. Individual Board members often serve as a kind of sounding board for individual citizens, local government and civic leaders and even State Senators and Representatives living in their districts. The Board elects the Commissioner and delegates to him the authority to administer the policies and actions of the Board.
The law requires that Departmental officials present a list of projects to be let at monthly meetings and secure Board approval. In addition, office and division heads, along with personnel in charge of special projects and programs, are called upon to account periodically for their activities. In a series of perceptive questioning, the Board demands and gets the information it needs to fulfill its legal obligation,
19

and considers changes or innovations required to correct specific problems or satisfy arising needs in Georgia's transportation system.
COMMISSIONER
The same 1963 law which created the State Highway Board as it operates presently, created the office of Director of the State Highway Department, and, effective 1967, the power over his appointment was

delegated to the Board. With reorganization, the name was changed and the area of responsibility expanded, but the general nature of the Commissioner's duties and his relationship to the Board remained the same. The Commissioner is the chief administrative officer of the Department of Transportation, elected by a majority of the Board members present and voting for a four-year term and until his successor is elected by the Board and qualified.
By law, the Commiss.ioner possesses all power and authority of the Board, except those powers specifically reserved by law to the Board, when that body is not in regular or called session. He has full authority to execute contracts and all other undertakings. Along with custody , control and supervision of the expenditure of all DOT funds , the Commissioner has the power to employ such personnel as he deems necessary or uSeful to the effective operation of the Department.
In short, the Commissioner controls all operations of the Department of Transportation as the administrative extension of the Transportation Board. As in corporate business, the Board outlines board policy, makes specific directions to the Commissioner and exercises the power of review over his actions .

DEPUTY COMMISSIONER

Since the Commissioner has usually come from a non-engineering background, the Deputy Commissioner
is much more than just an assistant. He is well trained in engineering, is usually a career employee of the Department with experience in the everyday business of building roads and serves in an advisory capacity to the Commissioner and Board in technical matters. In his administrative role , he acts as a healthy balance in high-level decision-making.
However, he is the Commissioner' s assistant and acts for him in his absence . This function of the Deputy Commissioner has been of vital importance in recent years , since the years 1968 through 1973 have seen three men occupy the Commissioner's office. During these critical periods of transition , it was the Deputy Commissioner' s responsibility to ease the shock of change. 20

STAFF UNITS
Prior to the management changes which resulted in reorganization, the State Highway Department had only two genuine staff units, Public Information and Secretary-Treasurer.
Highway Planning, Personnel and Highways were organizationally placed on the division level, and, along with Public Information and the SecretaryTreasurer, were the only units with immediate access to the Director. The Director did not have access to the system development, internal auditing and legal advice now at the Commissioner's fingertips.
Beginning in 1968, however, this situation began to change. Jnternal Audits, directed to improve internal accounting and managerial practices, was established, .and by 1971 was functioning de facto as a staff unit. The Public Information Office was expanded, and Systems Development took over management of computer systems. The Department of Administrative Service now controls data processing. With creation of the Division of Administration, the Secretary-Treasurer remained at staff status, with the Assistant Treasurer assuming control of Administration.
SECRETARY-TREASURER: In his staff usit functions, the Secretary-Treasurer serves as the focus of financial authority in the Department. He coordinates the division level disbursing, auditing and budgeting offices, and he advises the State Transportation Board, Commissioner and other offices on all financial matters.
The Secretary-Treasurer is Secretary of the Board and is present at all Board meetings and responsible for maintaining minutes of the proceedings. Relieved of much of the distracti'on of particulars through managerial improvements, the Secretary-Treasurer plays an essential role in high level decision making.
INTERNAL AUDITS: Prior to 1968, the Department had no office exclusively assigned to reviewing fiscal procedures and management with the Department. Like any large organization, public or private, the Department felt the need for confidential, impartial review.
Internal Audits performs periodic review of each unit in the Department for integrity of financial .Procedures, managerial efficiency and adequacy of internal

control and inventory methods. Additionally, the office investigates any reports of irregularities involving funds or property of the Department. In all cases results are communicated directly to the Commissioner' to ensure speedy and fair correction of any deficiencies.
The duties of this unit are never ending, since DOT is constantly trying to improve its policies and procedures and to ensure proper execution of duties on every level. One of Internal Audits' first successes was the establishment of a District Shop costing system to account for purchasing, maintenance and operation costs and to control inventory and manpower allocations. Internal Audits is also responsible for the highly successful bulk petroleum and state credit card system, which have resulted in large savings of taxpayer money.
Audits are conducted in great detail by the unit, and involve a series of accounting tests. Overhead rates are examined, accounting methods are thoroughly tested and analyzed and financial statements are fully reviewed. It is a time-consuming process, but one which becomes even more necessary as the Department grows larger.
The Office of Contracts Administration awarded bids totaling $446,641 ,247.00 from the period July 1, 1968 to July 30 , 1972.
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PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE: In an organization as massive, as technical and as highly specialized as the Department of Transportation, there is an obvious need for a centralized office to serve as a liaison between the Department and Georgia's citizens. The Public Information Office performs a dual function for DOT - promoting Departmental activities and providing any information about the Department.
The office prepares news releases on happenings in the Department and road information, publishes two monthly newsletters (DOT Translator and DOT Dashes), delivers lectures to school and civic groups on safetyrelated subjects, answers written and verbal inquiries from Georgia citizens as well as public officials, composes speeches for officials of the Department and serves as the official spokesman for DOT with the press. Several times yearly, Public Information sets up booths and displays for transportation exhibits. The office employs reporters, a photographer and an artist to help other offices in preparation of publications and pamphlets.
Spurred by the recommendations of the American Association of State Highway Officials, by the Governor's reorganization study and by the Department's commitment to greater public participation, DOT has expanded its Public Information Office considerably in the past four years.

move designed to reduce unnecessary duplication or
effort and to coordinate DOT and DOAS activities. Accordingly, the Systems Development Administrator was appointed effective June 1, 1972, and assigned directly to the Commissioner of DOT. The office util~,r.ed DOT personnel, and by July 1, an organization chart was approved for Systems Development.
The office has three-branches - Systems Planning and Research, Systems Design and Operations and Systems Control and Evaluation - all functioning within the areas of transportation planning, highway engineering and management information. The Planning branch conducts resear~rh and develops systems, which the Design branch then coordinates and improves as needed. Consequently, the Control branch establishes training programs for users, maintains effective retrieval and reassesses system performance to ensure maximum utilization of computer potentiaL
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT-TRANSPORTATION: Although the Executive Assistant, by statute, does not function in any way as an attorney for DOT - that is the responsibility of the Attorney General's Office his legal background certainly contributes to the quality of his work as management advisor and liaison officer with the legislative and executive branches of state governmenL In the performance of his duties, the Executive Assistant is very often involved with aspects of state and federal law.

SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT: The creation of this office resulted from the growing importance and sophistication of electronic data processing as a recordkeeping and calculating tool for transportation planning, administration and design. Prior to June, 1972, the Department's data processing activities were under the control of the Secretary-Treasurer, but the potential of the computer as a time and money-saver was recognized as being sufficient to warrent a staff devoted exclusive ly to Systems Development.
With reorganization, all electronic data processing equipment and personnel were transferred to the newly established Department of Administrative Services, a
22

The Executive Assistant maintains close ties with the Attorney General's Office, makes recommendations for proposed legislation for the Department and examines all transportation-oriented legislation being considered by the General Assembly" He is the official representative to the Governor's Office on all matters concerning DOT reorganization and has a major role in preparing the regulating and guidelines for implementing reorganization within DOT. He acts as an advisor concerning the niceties of regulations dealing with relocation assistance, personnel hearings and contractural obligations of the Department. Moreover, the Executive Assistant serves as an investigating officer for the Department whenever so directed.

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Tenth

Member

STATE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

J. 0. Bacon (Succeeded Jesse Palmer) Pembroke, Georgia

Hugh D. Broome Donalsonville, Georgia
Frank Morast, Jr., Vice Chairman (Succeeded Clarke W. Duncan) Columbus, Georgia

A. J. Embry Atlanta (DeKalb), Georgia

Alex W. Smith Atlanta, Georgia

Young H. Longino (Succeeded Lamar R. Plunkett) Bowdon, Georgia
Tom Mitchell, Chairman (Succeeded N. N. Burnes, Jr.) Dalton, Georgia

W. S. Stuckey, Sr. (Succeeded Downing Musgrove) Eastman, Georgia
Troy Simpson (Succeeded Loyd F. Strickland) Cornelia, Georgia

D. Douglas Barnard Augusta, Georgia

DEPARTMENTAL OFFICIALS (as of July 1, 1973)
'Downing Musgrove, Commissioner (Succeeded Jim L. Gillis, Sr., and Bert Lance) Emory C. Parrish, Deputy Commissioner
Staff Units: W. M. Williams, Secretary and Treasurer James L. Bryant, Transportation Accounts Executive

Term Expiration 1978 1978 1977 1977 1976 1976 1975 1975 1979 1979
23

DEPARTMENTAL OFFICIALS, Continued
William C. Bryant, Director, Public Information Office (Succeeded T. R. Ledford and Nelson E. Love) Jose M. Nieves, Systems Development Administrator John A. Sligh, Jr., Executive Assistant-Transportation
Division of Planning and Programming: Florence L. Breen, Director (Succeeded Paul E. Lee) Leland S. Veal, Assistant Director Robert C. Kirk, State Transportation Planning Engineer (Succeeded Leland S. Veal) Drew A. Brown, State Transportation Program Engineer (Succeeded Florence L. Breen) John H. Bennett, Director, Office of Aviation Development
Division of Administration: G. M. Spruill, Assistant Treasurer- Director James P. Keaton, Transportation Accounts Executive- General Accounting James L. Bryant, Transportation Accounts Executive- Audits and Fiscal Procedures W. W. MacDougall, Personnel Administrator George F. Carter, Sr., State Highway Office Engineer (Succeeded S. H. Slade) Dalton B. McCoy, Air Transportation Administrator Dan 0. Kelly, Transportation Accounts Executive- General Support Service
Office of the State Highway Engineer: Thomas D. Moreland, State Highway Engineer (Succeeded H. H. Huckeba and J. 0. Bacon) Hal Rives, Assistant State Highway Engineer- Pre-Construction Albert S. Mosely, Assistant State Highway Engineer- Construction James D. McGee, Assistant State Highway Engineer- Operations John M. Wilkerson, Jr., Assistant State Highway Engineer- Federal Liaison
(Prior to Reorganization, there existed only two Assistant State Highway Engineers engaged in pre-construction construction and operations activities. These positions were held, in chronological order, by the following individuals: W. B. Brantley, J. A. Kennedy, Thomas D. Moreland, James D. McGee, and AlbertS. Mosely).
Division of Highways: Frank Harscher, III, Toll Facilities Administrator Thomas Kratzer, State Highway Design Engineer (Succeeded Hal Rives) Lewis E. Parker, State Highway Urban Engineer Russell L. Chapman, Jr., State Highway Bridge Engineer Robert L. Alston, State Highway Location Engineer (Succeeded J. Y. Stribling) Joe E. Brown, State Highway Right-of-Way Engineer Charles H. Breedlove, State Highway Construction Engineer William T. Stapler, State Highway Materials and Tests Engineer (Succeeded Thomas D. Moreland) Francis L. Canup, District Engineer, #1, Gainesville (Succeeded Albert S. Mosely) 24

DEPARTMENTAL OFFICIALS, Continued George Lyons , District Engineer, #2 , Tennille (Succeeded Earl L. Tyre and Roy Brogdon) Roy Brogdon , District Engineer, #3, Thomaston (Succeeded John W. Wade , Sr.) Earl Olson , District Engineer, #4 , Tifton
T. s. McKenzie, Jr., District Engineer, #5 , Jesup (Succeeded Auvergne d'Antignac)
John W. Wade , Jr., District Engineer, #6, Cartersville (Succeeded Mark M. Johnson)
Alton L. Dowd, Jr., District Engineer, #7, Atlanta.
EarlL. Tyre, State Highway Maintenance Engineer (Succeeded J. 0. Bacon and James D. McGee) Walter L . Anderson, State Highway Utilities Engineer (Succeeded Roscoe C. Tate) Archie C. Burnham, Jr., State Highway Traffic and Safety Engineer (Succeeded WilliamS. Derrick) Nancy B. Rosser, State-Aid Administrator Ken Copeland, Chief Permits and Enforcement Officer (Succeeded W. Ben Garr)
Commissioner Downing Musgrove was elected by the Board when former Commissioner Bert Lance resigned. The present Commissioner was nominated by Fifth District Transportation Board Member, Alex Smith during Hugh Broome' s last tenure as Chairman.
25

DIVISION OF PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING
26

The Division of Planning and Programming

fonns the creative center of the Department of Transportation. All proposals are processed or initiated by this division, and identified needs, which become projects after careful consideration by planners, are then programmed for construction in accordance with the Depart ment's overall plans for the state's transportation and with the availability of funding. Members of the Division of Planning and Programming, whether they are concerned with socio-economic-environmental planning, airport development, engineering or computers, focus their attention on the future, on the needs and trends in total transportation as Georgia moves into the next decade and the next century.
The division is separated functionally into three offices: the Office of Planning, which plans transportation systems and component improvement projects from their very inception through general location approval; the Office of Programming, which schedules and monitors the development of transportation projects in order to match available funds and resources with planned projects; and the Office of Aviation Development, which works with local governments in the

creation and improvement of airports throughout the state.
OFFICE OF PLANNING: The office is charged with three broad duties-maintaining accurate and up-to-date records on the current resources of Georgia's transportation system; conducting and assimilating research projects on every aspect of transportation, from the quality of concretes to environmental impact; and developing pl~ns to meet the state's transportation needs, as well as establishing priorities for the Department of Transportation. The office is subdivided into three bureaus to facilitate execution of these three duties.
Data and Inventories Bureau: This bureau performs
the necessary task of keeping planners abreast of the conditions existing throughout Georgia's transportation system. The Bureau annually measures or updates existing data on the length of the various road systems in the state, keeps tabs on the bond indebtedness of roads and streets in all counties and municipalities of the state, maintains complete records on every bridge and road ever constructed by the Highway Department
27

or DOT, conducts traffic surveys and draws and/or revises maps on each of the 159 counties and 525 of the municipalities in Georgia.
Intelligent planning would be totally impossible without the necessary statistics gathered by the Bureau of Data and Inventories. Trends in automobile registration, motor fuel use and road type and condition in the state are essential for planners to know before preparing long-range projects for future facilities. Before any road min be improved or a new road built, the Department needs detailed information on traffic flow, patterns of movement and congestion/accident rates.
To satisfy this continuing need, the Office of Planning has improved and complemented its traffic survey capabilities over the past four years. Traffic counts are being made 24 hours of every day in the year, with automatic traffic recording machines at 50 continuous count stations (35 rural, 15 urban) at strategic locations throughout the state. With computer advance~. 36 of these 50 continuous count stations have been incorporated into DOT's "automatic traffic date telemetry system," with counts sent directly into a central computer. Through execution of stored computer programs, the data are collected, edited and recorded, at a great savings in time and money. Much to its credit, Georgia's was the first working system of its kind in the nation.
The bureau's mapping branch performs the vital service of compiling survey information graphically into maps of every county, most municipalities and the entire state for each year. The branch's cartographers and draftsmen continually update their maps, using information from new surveys and aerial photographs. Conditions maps, the Official Highway Map (updated annually and distributed free) and interstate status maps also come from this branch. Its local maps are highly detailed and in demand; a nominal fee is charged the public for each copy.
Research and Development Bureau: This bureau
has three major responsibilities: conducting in-house research on a plethora of subjects for any office or division in the Department; monitoring research projects contracted to private consulting firms, other governmental agencies or institutions; and maintaining
28

an up-to-date library of transportation-oriented publications. Its role, like that of Data and Inventories, is one absolutely essential to the planning processproviding the information that lies behind intelligent planning decisions.
Although research and development projects have been undertaken by the Department since 1957, it was not until ten years later that the projects were placed in the framework of formal research and development for the Department with specific program objectives, direction and coordination by a full-time staff. The bureau is divided into three branches - Physical Research (so-called "hard" research); Systems Research ("soft" research); and Research Implementation-Services, which puts research discoveries into practice.
The purpose of Research and Development Bureau has never been to maintain a staff capable of actually conducting itself in all fields of highway and transportation activities. The expense of such a staff would be prohibitive and would involve an inexcusable misuse of manpower. Instead, the Research and Development Bureau staff is a relatively small, but well-trained group of individuals capable of assisting, guiding and monitoring research efforts conducted by others (within and outside the department) to produce a successful outcome at the least cost to the taxpayer.
Projects handled in-house may be carried out by the Research and Development Bureau itself or by one of the offices within the Department - Materials and Tests, Surveys and Aerial Mapping, Traffic and Safety and others. Contract research projects are conducted for the Department using colleges and universities (Georgia Tech, Georgia State, University of Georgia)
or through various consulting firms oq a contract basis.
In some cases, both in-house and outside resources are used in a cooperative effor~. In any event, every effort is made to exhaust in-house capabilities before seeking outside assistance.
Every research proposal 1s presented to the Department's Research Advisory Committee for its review and a recommendation for approval or disapproval. This committee is a broad spectrum of the Department: the Deputy Commissioner, State Highway Engineer, chief

engineers of most operational offices and two distnc;; engineers have voting powers; the Federal Highway Administration Georgia Division Engineer and the FHWA Division Planning and Research Engineer are included as advisory members. Upon completion of its recommendations, the committee findings are forwarded to departmental management for final approval or disapproval ultimately by the Commissioner.
During the research process , FHWA approval must be obtained if federal funds are involved, and the bureau' s staff carries on a continuing review of the research conduct. The final phase of the process is one of the most essential and involves implementing the findings into the Department's operations. Reports

on the findings are published and placed in the Department 's library.
Plan Development Bureau: The end result of
gathering data , keeping inventories and conducting research is the preparation of transportation plans for the future , that will avoid the mistakes of the past and attempt to build roads designed for people - both the motorist and the average citizen who wants to maintain the quality of his social, economic and natural environ ment. This awsome and often controversial task rests squarely on the shoulders of the men and women in Plan Development.
In its job of determining transportation needs identification of improvement projects and deciding on

Public hearings became a way of life with the Department as it moved to become more responsive to the wishes and expectations of Georgia' s citizens.
29

priorities for the Department, Plan Development is involved in preparing Environmental Impact Statements and Location Study Reports for all Federal-Aid projects. Weighing data on the social, economic and environmental effects of a proposed project, the bureau also reaches out to the citizens of Georgia through public hearings on location and design.
The bureau consists of five branches, three of them primarily concerned with the larger cities (Atlanta, Urban, and Public Transportation), one with statewide planning with emphasis on rural regions, and the remaining branch with specialized Environmental Research and Systems Applications.
Because of a federal law stipulating that federalaid projects in cities of 50,000 population or more shall not be approved unless based on a continuing, comprehensive transportation planning process, Georgia's larger cities have received close study over the past seven years, Albany, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Savannah have cooperated with DOT planners in preparing long-range urban transportation plans. Such matters as social conditions, utility capacity and land use are now being considered as ,.relevant transportation factors, and the transportation
!
plans are continually up-dated and revised. Although there was no federal pressure to conduct
planning studies for cities of 5,000 or more population. Plans have been completed for Cedartown and Waynesboro, and work is continuing on Milledgeville, Gainesville, Rome, Athens and Dalton. DOT hopes that planning for these smaller cities will help them avoid the mistakes that have already been made in the larger urban areas.
Statewide Planning has worked closely with the various regional planning and development commissions in planning for rural areas and cities less than 5,000 population. The first regional transportation study con ducted was for the Slash Pine Area Planning and Development Commission in a nine-county rural region of Southeast Georgia. Emphasis now will be to develop a statewide multi-model transportation plan in cooperation with other agencies, local governments and regional planning and development commissions.
One of the most productive planning ventures
30

recently has been the Traffic Operations Program to Increase Capacity and Safety (TOPICS). TOPICS studies have been completed for Savannah, Atlanta Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Albany. The program' seeks to identify past engineering errors or inadequate facilities along the transportation system which limit traffic capacity, causing congestion and/or posing a safety hazard to motorists. With the help of federal matching funds, highly qualified DOT personnel and consultants have taken a close look at traffic problems and made practical suggestions for correcting themcomplete with aerial photographs, traffic counts, accident-congestion rates and cost estimates.
OFFICE OF PROGRAMMING: Unlike the Office of Planning, the Office of Programming is a recent (1971) addition to the Departmental structure. Its genesis is the result of federal pre~sure to systematize scheduling of transportation projects, pressure which culminated in the 1969 loss to Georgia of $14.5 million in appropriated funds. The federal government, in an unprecedented move, employed guidelines requiring more adequate scheduling-programming procedures as a tool to deprive Georgia and other states of unallocated federal monies and to force individual states into com pliance. To guard against such shortcomings in the future, the Department formally established the Programming Division two years later in August, 1971.
The objective of the Office of Programming is to formulate a balanced construction work program for transportation projects. A system called the "multi project programming and scheduling system'' has been designed so that the office can match revenues against programmed project expenditures through computer program runs.
Essential to any programming-scheduling attempt, the matter of estimating costs has become more accurate since the office was established. Georgia Tech interns are often used to compile statistics to find correlation between factors of location, access controls and length and the ultimate project costs. Manpower allocation algorithms and activity work standard statistics are also being studied by the interns in an attempt to more accurately estimate the cost of projects.
The Office of Programming is sub-divided into

three bureaus (Program Development, Project Scheduling program Management) and two staff units (Information Control, Authorization).
The Program Development Bureau prepares the DOT construction work program, subject to approval by the State Transportation Board. With projects established and needed revisions made, this bureau must also insure that project letting dates are consistent with the construction work program.
With communication between engineering units and the Office of Programming of great importance, the Project Scheduling Bureau was created to work with other units to produce schedules for all activities required in the construction work program. Project Scheduling monitors the schedules and cooperates with engineering units to revise timetables to reflect plan
modifications. For the first two years of the construct ion work program, Project Scheduling has been fore casting and balancing manpower, determining potential surpluses or deficiencies by manpower pools and geography and notifying the affected units.
The Bureau of Program Management serves as the office's financial advisor. The bureau must review near-term monthly revenue forecasts prepared by General Accounting and balance the budget by adjusting work schedules. In addition, the bureau is charged with reviewing proposed concept and policy changes to ongoing projects and assessing their impact on established programs and schedules.
Liaison with the Federal Highway Administration is provided by the Project Authorization Unit, which obtains necessary clearances and authorization on State as well as Federal-aid projects. The unit issues Department work authorizations by phase for projects, processes all FHWA non-engineering contracts, and finally reviews closing status of Federal-aid projects.
Responsibility for maintaining a link between all units of the Office Of Programming and the Data Pro cessing Unit rests with the Information Control Unit. The unit assists the other bureaus in deciding upon computer program modifications, edits all input to the computer system and distributes computer readouts to the rest of the Department.
The Office of Programming has made important

advances in the coordination of DOT's approximately $214 million annual construction program. A five year construction program is being designed, based on anticipated revenues, and will be updated annually. Computer programs will be developed for all operations to streamline information retrieval.
OFFICE OF AVIATION DEVELOPMENT: This small, low-budgeted office is truly the lightweight workhorse of Planning and Programming. Since it joined DOT only after reorganization, its activities properly; fall outside the limits of this report. Before July 1, 1972, Aviation Development was under Depart ment of Industry and Trade.
However, its present status in DOT is an example of Georgia's recent committment to total transportation. In its 13 years of existence, the office has contributed to attracting the federal dollar to state airports... In recent years the number of Georgia's airports has doubled, and the state has exceeded national averages on the quality of air facilities.
Office of Air Transportation becc.me a part of DOT after reorganization, thus consolidating all aspects of transportation under one umbrella.
31

DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATION
32

In the Course of

the Four Years

covered by this report, expenditures of the Department increased by over 70 per cent, from $172.4 million in fiscal 1969 to $272.8 in fiscal 1972. The department's employees, during the same period, grew in number, to nearly 9,000, and Georgia's Highway Department came up against the same kind of problems with fiscal integrity and utilization of manpower that confront massive corporations in the private sector.
Consequently, Administration began to accelerate programs designed to improve system controls and on July 1, 1972, with the official implementation of Gov. Jimmy Carter's reorganization, the organizational structure was changed to enhance the accomplishment of current as well as newly assigned functions. Responsibilities for budgeting, accounting and disbursing, were delegated to newly-created offices -General Accounting, General Support SeiVices, and Audits and Fiscal Procedures. Personnel functions were transferred to the Division of Administration. The Office of Air Transportation was incorporated into DOT to manage the state's fleet of aircraft. And, finally, functions involving inventory, warehousing, records management, purchasing,

equipment and budgeting were transferred to the Div ision of Administration, Office of General Support Serviceso
With the introduction of zero-base budgetingdemanding that previously established spending priorities be re-examined annually and each year's budget created from scratch-DOT's administrative procedures, already some of the nation's most efficient, were streamlined and tightened. Georgia, in 1971, spent less than half the national percentage average of its budget on administration; the future holds even greater promise for efficient utilization of money and personnel where they are most needed-creating and building Georgia's system of total transportation.
OFFICE OF GENERAL ACCOUNTING: This office is responsibile for administering the general accounting functions of the department, including accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll. This is the source of monthly and annual financial statements, and besides its bank-teller role in Departmental operation, General Accounting works closely with the Office of Programming, supplying the fiscal
33

information necessary for intelligent scheduling of projects.
OFFICE OF AUDITS AND FISCAL PROCEDURES: Audits and Fiscal Procedures establishes Departmental accounting procedures and is responsible for both internal and external auditing functions. In a process that sometimes involves extensive national travel, Audits and Fiscal Procedures tests overhead rates, analyzes methods and reviews financial statements of contractors. In addition, it does limited auditing of right-of-way and utility claims, in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (on Federal-Aid projects). Beginning in 1972, FHWA required pre-award for all contracts over $50,000, and DOT procedure has been to perform the same kinds of audits for any contract, regardless of size.
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL: This office has responsibility for all personnel matters concerning DOT, following an employee's initial classification and periodic upgrading by the State Merit System. This responsibility involves analyzing applications for employment, interviewing applicants, coordinating changes in manpower allocation and salary, departmental administration of the Employee's Retirement System of Georgia and assisting DOT employees with the State of Georgia Employee's Health Insurance Plan.
In 1969, the Office of Personnel established the position of Equal Employment Opportunities Officer to handle equal employment and Civil Rights matters within the Department and with Federal-Aid contractors. In 1972, the Personnel Safety and Occupational Safety, health, Civil Defense and emergency planning programs were included as functional responsibilities of the Equal Employment Opportunities Officer.
The Office of Personnel has conducted training programs for DOT personnel in civil engineering for over 20 years, providing two years of basic engineering training in the practical aspects of highway engineering. The first year's training includes work in materials and test, roadway design, bridge design and aerial surveys. During the second year, the trainee is given field assignments in location and construction. Upon completion of the program, trainees are assigned to a
34

division or unit based on Departmental need and personal preference of the employee.
DOT conducts an ongoing series of seminars and development courses for managers and supervisors at all levels, and, in order to keep employees abreast of developments in highway engineering, the Office of Personnel sponsors an evening school program in Highway Engineering Technology. In addition, DOT encourages employees to take recognized correspondence school courses in Highway Engineering. The State Merit System cooperates by giving recognition for promotion upon completion of evening school and correspondence school study.
Another method of trying to solve DOT's continuing recruitment problems is the Cooperative Education Program for students working toward degrees in Civil Engineering and Civil Engineering Technology. This program allows students in these areas to receive practical training in Highway Engineering before graduation, by alternating three month work quarters with three month academic quarters. Thus, the Cooperative Education Student is qualified for a more advanced and responsible job when he receives his degree from college, and DOT is able to attract key engineering personnel in spite of stiff competition from industry and the Federal government.
OFFICE OF CONTRACTS ADMINISTRATION: It is the duty of Contracts Administration to prepare and process documents pertaining to the constructio~ of projects under the various DOT programs. This office receives completed plans for projects ready for contract, performs the administrative duties necessary to place the projects under contract and reviews statements of work performed by contractors prior to payment.
Once plans are received, Contracts Administration prepares detailed cost estimates, bid proposals, advertisements for bids and the notices to contractors on each project. On the basis of the bid proposalsspecifying the construction activities in question and all required materials-contractors submit sealed bids, opened only when the public letting session begins, which are checked for accuracy and ranked. Low bids are exhaustively analyzed by computer and compared to the Department's detailed cost estimate.

If the low bid submitted on an individual project exceeds Departmental estimate , award is deferred or rejected, subject to approval by the Commissioner. The low bid, calculated accurately, is usually approved and the project is awarded to the successful contractor. However, award or rejection for federally funded projects is made subject to concurrence of the Federal Highway Administration.
Contracts Administration then prepares the con tracts for awarded projects, processes necessary legal documents from the contractor and draws up the work order in the form of a Notice to Proceed. If there is reason to suspect that cost estimates are unrealistic on projects whose bids were rejected or deferred, the office must then re-examine and, if necessary, reviue the cost estimates in question.
Financial and contractural integrity on awarded projects is monitored by Contracts Administration until the work is completed. The office reviews and exercises approval authority for monthly and final statements of earnings by contractors on each project under construct ion. After approval by the District Office and the Office of Contracts Administration, progress and final state ments are transmitted to the Office of General Account ing for payment.
Along with the preparation of financial statements and the detailed documentation required to support those statements, Contracts Administration handles all
requests for modifications in plans or contracts necessitated by unforeseen complications on the projects. On projects involving federal funds, approval of FHWA is obtained for the changes so that the federal government will participate in additional costs resulting from such changes.
Contracts Administration, through contact with district and general office engineers, sets standards for construction project recordkeeping requirements. The office prepares and publishes the DOT Project Record
Procedures manual containing these standards.

With reorganization DOT also increased its maintenance districts to
seven, adding District Seven to care for the metropolitan Atlanta area.
of aircraft was placed under the Department of Trans portation.
OFFICE OF GENERAL SUPPORT SERVICES: This office controls purchasing, inventories and ware housing, reproduction services, equipment, records management and budgeting functions for the Department of Transportation.

OFFICE OF AIR TRANSPORTATION: This office formerly an autonomous department, became a part of' DOT with the official implementation of reorganization. On July 1, 1972, responsibility for the state's fleet

The Division of Systems Development was added to develop computer programs to increase department efficiency.
35

DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS
36

The State Highway

Engineer is Responsible

for the Design,

construction, operation and maintenance of highway facilities including, temporarily, tollways.
The State Highway Engineer reports directly to the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner. The State Highway Engineer's staff includes four assistant State Highway Engineers for Pre-Construction, Construction, Operations and Federal Liaison.
The Pre-Construction Section, which generally prepares a project for the letting stage, includes Road, Urban and Bridge Design, Surveys and Aerial Mapping and Right-of-Way.
The Construction Section, generally responsible for constructing projects, includes the offices of Construction, Materials and Tests and the Seven District Offices. The Seventh District, Metro Atlanta, (Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett and Rockdale counties), was added since the last report.
The Operations Section includes those offices which operate the state system. These are Highway Maintenance, Traffic and Safety, State Aid and Permits and Enforcement. This last office was established as part of the reorganization of July 1, 1972.

PRE-CONSTRUCTION SECTION
The Pre-construction Section is responsible for all activities between the end ofthe long-range planning activity and the start of the construction activities. The five offices of the Pre-construction Section are Office of Road Design, Office of Urban Design, Office of Bridge Design, Office of Surveys and Aerial Mapping, and Office of Rights-of-Way.
OFFICE OF ROAD DESIGN: The Office of Road Design is responsible for the preparation of plans from the original .survey notes to the final plan stage for all Federal-aid Primary, Interstate and most four-lane State Aid Highway projects which are located outside the urban limits of the larger municipalities. Plans are also prepared for projects utilizing Federal-Aid urban funds Within smaller cities.
All phases of the engineering design of each individual project are accomplished or correlated by the Office of Road Design. With the help of electronic computer and the latest photogrammetric methods, production has greatly accelerated the large volume
37

Interstate projects. Designs are being developed which will incorporate the existing natural beauty of the Georgia landscape into the highways with a minimum of planting.
In addition, consideration of noise and air pollution and design to minimize adverse effects is another environmental factor for which this group is now responsible.
Project Records: It is the responsibility of the Office of Road Design to assign project numbe~s to all 100 per cent State Aid projects and all Georgia Highway Authority projects and to maintain permanent file records of these projects.

When construction is underWay, the Construction Section makes periodic checks on the contractor's work. However, the Department has begun to place quality control in the hands of the contractor, thus reducing DOT's manpower needs.
of plans required by current Federal Primary and Interstate programs.
Utility Relocation: Rearrangement and recon struction of public and privately owned utility facilities to eliminate conflicts with highway construction continues to demand engineering effort and adds to construction cost. In an effort to reduce this co~ to a minimum, constant liaison is maintained with all utility owners throughout the state. The Office of Road Design works closely with the Office of Utilities in fulfilling this requirement.
Rest Areas and Truck-Weighing Stations: Fifty-four safety rest areas and eleven truck weighing stations are being incorporated into the Georgia Interstate System. The Office of Road Design is developing design and construction plans for all of these facilities.
Lighting: Roadway lighting is being added on
projects, where warranted, for the safety and comfort of vehicular drivers, safety of pedestrians and easing the flow of traffic.
Landscape and Roadside Development: A landscape design group has been in operation during the period covered by this report. The junkyard screening program has been completed as has the ,program for planting and landscaping of previously completed

OFFICE OF URBAN DESIGN: The Office of Urban Design is responsible for the design and preparation of construction plans for the major highway projects on the Federal-aid Urban, Primary, Secondary and Interstate Systems inside the larger urban areas of Georgia.
Liaison With Urban Transportation Studies: With the exception of its work with Albany, the Office of Urban Design is maintaining close liaison with each transportation study being made in urban areas greater than 50,000 population. These study areas include Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah. The Office of Urban Des,ign is generally responsible for all phases of the design of the major projects identified by these transportation studies.
Toll Road Feasibility Studies: Preliminary Toll Road Feasibility Studies have been conducted by the Department of Transportation with the Office of Urban Design coordinating the engineering portion of the proposed expressway systems in the Atlanta area and the West Georgia area. The State Transportation Board and the State Tollway Authority have authorized DOT to proceed with further studies that will be necessary before a final decision can be made to construct the proposed expressways as tollways.
Public Utilities: The cost of relocating public utilities (water, power, sewers, etc.) is a major factor to be considered in locating and designing highways in urban areas. During preparation for final plans, every

38

utility conflict must be located and the disposition of the conflict shown on the construction plans. Close liaison is maintained with utility owners at all stages of preliminary and final plan preparation.

OFFICE OF SURVEYS AND AERIAL MAPPING: The Office .of Surveys and Aerial Mapping is responsible for the development of detailed maps and aerial photographs and assisting in the determination of road locations based on engineering considerations.
Since the development of photogrammetry by the Office of Surveys and Aerial Mapping, the cost and time on highway location and design has been vastly reduced. This method of locating highways results in better locations and designs.
In June, 1969, the Office purchased a new Courser Commander airplane replacing an airplane that had been in use for twelve years. The new aircraft is used exclusively for aerial photography. The new plane has many new safety devices and has a cruising speed of 200 mph which enables the aircraft to cover more flying area on suitable days for flying.
In November, 1969, a Wild A-8 Stereo-Plotter with accessories was installed in the Aerial Laboratory at Hapeville, Ga. Combined with improved housing for the Office of Surveys and Aerial Mapping, the technical advances in photogrammetry over the years covered by this report have resulted in an increase both in work performed (estimated at 62 per cent from FY ~971 to FY 1972) and in the quality of the end product (a matter which defies quantitative estimate).
OFFICE OF BRIDGE DESIGN: The primary function of the Office of Bridge Design is the design and subsequent preparation of plans for the various structures required as part of a transportation system. These structures include not only bridges, but minor structures such as reinforced concrete box culverts for drainage, cattle passes and major reinforced concrete retaining walls to contain high earth fill or cut sections.
Other important functions of this office are the general supervision of bridge construction throughout the State via direct liaison among the Bridge Engineer,

Because design requirements vary, the Department has three design sections, Road, Urban and Bridge. Road design is responsible for rural areas.
Construction Engineer and the Field District Engineers and contractors; the training of new engineers who are enrolled in the Highway Engineering Training Program and who rotate through the Bridge Office; the preparation of Special Provisions and Specifications applicable to bridge construction, and cooperation with the various other offices in DOT with regard to bridge planning and construction.
When it is necessary to engage the services of consultants for bridge design, the Office of Bridge Design is generally responsible for receiving and approving, with the Federal Highway Administration's concurrance, their proposal, drafting the contract, and processing it through the Department as well as through the Office of the Attorney General.
OFFICE OF RIGHTS-OF-WAY: The principal function of the Office of Right-of-Way is to acquire rights-of-way necessary for the construction and maintenance of all highways under the jurisdiction of DOT. The office also maintains complete and permanent records, on all deeds, easements, condemnations, contracts, title information and fiscal transactions related to highway right-of-way acquisition. Other major responsibilities include the disposal of surplus improvements and land remnants acquired in conjunction with rights-of-way acquisition, to administer
39

the relocation assistance program for persons dislocated due to right-of-way acquisition, and to assist the Office of Traffic Engineering and Safety in acquiring and removing advertising signs and billboards from areas within 600 feet of the nearest edge of the right-of-way for Primary and Interstate highway as provided under Georgia law and to assist other offices of DOT in clearing the right-of-way of existing encroachments and preventing future encroachments.
Policies and Procedures: The Department of Transportation has for many years depended on the counties or cities acting as agents for DOT by virtue of right-of-way acquisition contracts to play a major role in the actual acquisition procedure. During fiscal '72, DOT gradually assumed responsibility for all costs and activities in connection with rights-of-way acquisition for all state Primary, Urban, and Interstate projects. DOT also assumed responsibility for all costs and activities in connection with rights-of-way acquisition for all projects on the State system of numbered highways. The counties or cities will still be charged with the responsibility of acquiring rightsof-way for all projects not on the state system.
During this report period, there have been several changes in Federal procedures that have affected right-of-way acquisition either directly or indirectly. These include:
1. A modified Policy and Procedure 80-3 which considerably tightened appraisal and appraisal review requirements.
2. Anew policy and procedure memorandum which stipulated certain requirements in connection with public hearings for all Federal-aid projects prior to approval of both location and design.
3. Policies requiring detailed studies involving environmental impactofa project on individuals and communities and the ecological effects on the land, as well as business relocations, farm and family relocations.
4. Relocation Assistance Acts of 1968 and 1970.
Relocation Assistance Program Acts of 1968 and 1970: The major changes as provided under the new
laws were an increased supplemental payment to home
40

owners from $5,000 to $15,000 and from $1,500 to $4,000 for tenants, the reimbursement to the property owner for certain incidental costs chargeable to the property transfer, the Department's responsibility for the owner's ligitation cost under certain conditions, the purchasing of uneconomic remnants at the owner's request, compensating the owner for increases in interest cost and various modified procedures relative to negotiations with the property owner.
Surplus Property Disposal: Property acquired as right-of-way, particularly in developing areas, usually contains various types . of improvements such as dwellings, business structures, farms, etc. If the owners do not desire to retain these improvements, it is necessary for the Office of Rights-of:Way to supervise the removal and demolition of the improvements by a successful bidder.
Federal-Aid Primary and Urban Projects: For the fiscal years covered by this report, the acquisition of right-of-way for primary and urban projects has been a joint effort of DOT and the cities or counties in urban projects. The financing has been with state and federal funds with the counties or cities participating in actual right-of-way cost to a nominal degree, usually 10%, as stipulated by the Right-of-Way Acquisition Contract.
CONSTRUCTION SECTION
This section is responsible for the construction of highway projects. The Construction Section includes the Office of Construction, the Office of Materials and Tests and the Seven District Offices.
OFFICE OF CONSTRUCTION: The Office of Construction is responsible for evaluating construction operation needs and determining construction specifi~ cations for highway projects. The responsibilities of the office include making inspections of Plans, Specifications and Estimates of proposed state-side projects; review of final plans; and the supervision of construction. Construction of Georgia Highway Authority projects is also under the supervision of this office.

Preliminary Plans: The Office of Construction
cooperates and assists in the preparation of plans along with several other divisions during the location and plan preparation. Liaison is maintained by this office between the field division offices and the affected divisions in the General Office. Liaison is also main tained with the Federal Highway Administration in matters pertaining to the review of preliminary and final plans.. Effective work in this function results in quicker plan production and savings in manhours and plan production costs.
Field Inspection: When plans preparation has
reached a point where further design is impractical without risking duplication of effort or wasting man-hours until all questions which have arisen are resolved between the various divisions of the Highway Department and the Federal Highway Administration (on Federal-aid projects), the plans are sent to the Office of Construction for field inspection. After review by the State Highway Construction Engineer or his designated assistant and other representatives of other divisions, a detailed inspection on the site of the work is made and then compared with the plans. A report is prepared and distributed to all affected divisions or agencies at which time all questions are resolved or a definite course of action established. With this report, all agencies and divisions can proceed in a uniform manner to complete the plans, specifications, right-ofway acquisition, and preparation of estimates and contract documents required to advertise the project for bids.
Final Plans Review: Prior to advertising bids, a
final review is made by the Office of Construction. The plans are examined and supplemental specifications and special provisions for the project are examined and checked for possible conflicts. A written report is submitted to the office involved if dis crepancies are found.
Construction Inspection: When a contract has
been let and construction authorized, this division makes periodic inspections of the contractor's work. These inspections continue throughout the period of construction until the job is completed and accepted

by the Highway Division. One important objective of these inspections is to insure uniform interpretation and application of the specifications and to produce uniformity in construction procedures throughout the State.
Specifications and Construction Manual: This office is responsible for revising and updating the Standard Specifications. Specified sections, such as those pertaining to bridge construction, materials, and pavements are written by the divisions responsible for those items after which the proposed specifications are forwarded to the Office of Construction for editing and approval by the Federal Highway Administration.
The Office of Construction is also responsible for writing and editing the Construction Manual which is used in conjunction with the specifications.
During fiscal years 1969 through 1972 contracts were let for, 235.8 miles of interstates, 76.9 miles of federal-aid primary and 430.3 miles of secondarv roads.
On State aid and Georgia Highway Authority projects, 3,709.2 miles were let plus 10 passing lane projects with a total of 55 individual passing lanes.
41

The Atlanta Loop, or Perimeter Highway as it popularly became known, opened Oct 15, 1969. This 62.656 miles of interstate cost $96 ,900 ,101.56 and the first section was let on June 27, 1958 on a 2.56 mile section from the General Motors Plant to Chamblee Tucker Road.

Federal-Aid Project Payrolls: This Office is
responsible for the examination of all payrolls on projects which have Federal participation to insure that the employees are being paid the wages predetermined by the Secretary of Labor, as contained in each contract.
Record of Construction Progress: The office maintains a record of each construction project with specific details such as date authorized, date of construction beginnings, monthly progress and date of completion. A separate report is prepared each month for members of the State Transportation Board. This report enables each member of the Board and other interested parties to be informed of the status and progress of each active project.
OFFICE OF MATERIALS AND TESTS: The Office of Materials and Tests i s responsible for the sampling and testing of soils, rock beds, and other geologic formations on which highway projects are to be built , in order to determine construction specifications. This office also samples and tests materials used in the construction of projects to assure compliance with construction specifications. The office

is divided into 13 units and branches, each of which has a specific function with regard to materials and tests.
Record Sampling Branch: With seven field crews in each of the seven districts located throughout the State, this branch has the function of recording sample and field test materials used in the construction of roads and bridges to insure compliance with the Standard Specifications as required by the Federal Highway Administration. This branch also consists of a Materials Audits Unit whose function is to audit and issue materials certificates covering all materials and construction on Federal-Aid Projects .
Soil Engineering and Geology Branch : The Soil Engineering and Geology Branch' s experienced staff routinely perform s ubsurface investigations for all new highways and bridges constructed by the State. These engineers and geologists begin working on each major project during the location and preliminary design phases and follow them through construction to com pletion.
Materials Location Unit: The Materials Location Unit of the Central Laboratory has the responsibility

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for final evaluation of all local materials proposed for use in highway construction.
Aggregate Control Unit: The Aggregate Control
Unit is charged with the responsibility of monitoring the quality of all sand and stone used on highway projects. The materials are subjected to in-depth geological investigations with complete sampling and testing with thorough plant analyses.
Administrative Unit: The Administrative Unit
performs many varied services including personnel transactions, mail distribution, accounting, and it operates the Central Warehouse which maintains a supply of all types of materials, supplies and equipment relevant to material testing. All requests for materials, supplies and equipment needed by the other activities are channeled through the Procurement Office of this unit.
Building. Maintenance Unit: This unit provides general maintenance of the 98,000 square-foot building and its equipment. It maintains the grounds, providing janitorial .service and security. It also handles general maintenance for the six branch laboratories located over the State.
Inspection Service Branch: The Inspection Service Branch is comprised of the Pre-inspection Unit and the Structural Steel Inspection Unit. The Pre-inspection Unit inspects many of the materials used in highway construction at their point of manufacture or storage. Those materials approved are stamped with an identifying mark of approval. The Structural Steel Unit is responsible for the pre-inspection of structural steel for bridges and steel and aluminum components of structural supports for overhead signs, lighting standards and lighting towers.
Training Unit: The Training Unit, organized after
July, 1972, has two major projects underway. One is the development of a training program for new Materials Test Technician I employees and technicians who are scheduled to be in the Centralization of Testing Program, established by the reorganization of state government. Another project is an attempt to upgrade the educational level of the non-merit employees in the
Central Laboratory by offering basic refresher courses. Soil, Physical and Chemical Branch: The primary

function of this branch is to test project control samples, record samples, and preliminary soil samples from projects constructed under the supervision of DOT. Also, this branch performs calibration tests on jacks, wrenches and other equipment used in road projects.
Concrete Branch: This branch handles inspections and problems related to concrete construction and determines the acceptability of questionable quality concrete. It also provides technical assistance to field engineers and contractors for concrete COD;Struction.
Materials Research Branch: The primary function of this branch is to perform research in problem areas related to materials and to construction practices and procedures.
Asphalt Branch: The Asphalt Branch is composed of three units with responsibilities as indicated.
Asphalt Design: Respqnsible for the design of all asphaltic concrete, sand bituminous, and slurry seal material used on DOT projects.
Field Inspection: Responsible for mechanical inspections and calibration of all central mixed base plants and hot mix asphalt plants throughout the State.
Bituminous: Responsible for testing, reporting, and determining the acceptability of all the bituminous materials incorporated in the projects constructed under the supervision of DOT. Physical Plant: The physical plant includes the Central Laboratory located in Forest Park and six smaller units located in each of the six districts.
DOT DISTRICT OFFICES: The seven district offices function similarly to the Construction Section but have responsibility for design, maintenance and construction of projects within their own districts. Each district office contains a field counterpart of the other Offices in the Construction Section as well as field offices from other Divisions and Sections within DOT. The district offices are classified numerically and located throughout the state: 1) Gainesville,
2) Tennille, 3) Thomaston, 4) Tifton, 5) Jesup, 6) Cartersville and 7) Atlanta.
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As of June 30, 1972, the office of Road Design had 16 Interstate Rest Areas in various stages of design completion.
Interstate rest areas as well as roaasu1e parks received increased emphasis as the Department increased its services to all travellers.
OPERATIONS SECTION The Operations Section has a broad base of responsibility which can be generalized as maintenance and management. This section contains the Offices of Highway Maintenance, Utilities, Traffic Engineering and Safety, Permits and Enforcement, and State-Aid and Administration. All of the offices in the Operations Section, except State-Aid and Administration, have major responsibilities in the areas of operations and maintenance.
OFFICE OF HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE: The Office of Maintenance has the responsibility for the preservation and upkeep of all roads and bridges on the State Highway System. The office also is responsible for the administration and the supervision of the 44

many affiliated activities necessary to implement the program.
Additionally, this office has responsibility for programming and supervision of funding for resurfacing, by contract, roads on the State Highway System.
Georgia Highway Authority Bond Program: The
Office of Highway Maintenance has the responsibility for programming roadway improvement projects of the Georgia Highway Authority and for establishing the system of controls governing the expenditures of bond funds for GS resurfacing projects.
Highway Property Control: The Highway Property
Section has continued to probe and inspect the inventories of repair parts, tools, equipment, gasoline and lubricants located in the various division shops. The item-for-item swap system in effect at these warehouses has resulted in much closer control of tools and various supply items.
Spot checks are made of the field division shop stock inventories. Complete inventories are also taken at various intervals. When discrepancies are discovered, their causes are pinpointed and stockroom personnel are advised as to reasons for such discrepancies.
Field division shops and warehouses are located in Gainesville, Tennille, Thomaston, Albany, Glennville, Swainsboro, and Cartersville. Special stock accounts have been set up in each of the fiel~ division offices. These accounts cover engineer stakes and laboratory supplies. Charges are made against the projects on which these items are used. This system permits the State DOT to recover the cost of such items from the construction projects on which they are used.
Regular Maintenance: The field division engineers and their maintenance assistants have superintendents and foremen in charge of work crews who are assigned to perform work on specific sections of roadway. These crews are responsible for the normal maintenance of these roads and bridges thereon.
Regular maintenance consists of machining dirt roads, patching failures in pavement, repair of shoulders on roads, maintaining adequate drainage, policing the rights-of-way, snow and ice removal from roads and
bridges, litter clean-up, mowing rights-of-way, fabricating, erecting, cleaning and maintaining warning

and directional signs, and many other minor maintenance items.
Two other very important aspects of regular main tenance are the divisions' repair and equipment shops and sign shops. The repair and equipment shops are prepared to repair and service practically all types of road maintenance equipment. The division sign shops are equipped to fabricate, erect and maintain some of the small!3r road signs needed in the field.
Roadside Parks: There are 266 roadside parks
and rest areas completed within the State, and thousands of motorists use and enjQy the parks each year. The parks are equipped with tables, grills and trash cans, while many also have water fountains and rest areas. It is contemplated that eventually a full-time caretaker will be required for ea~h of the 54 rest areas planned for the Interstate System.
The parks are inspected regularly by personnel of the Roadside Parks Unit who report to the State Highway Maintenance Engineer.
Bridge Inspection Program: The 1968 Federal
Highway Act requires each state to make an inspection of all bridges by the Federal-Aid System, including those on the Federal-Aid Secondary System. These

inspections have been reported by the Georgia DOT and a computer system now has on file all data from these inspections. Inspections are to be made on all structures at least once every two years.
Bridge Maintenance: Each of the Divisions has
at least two bridge maintenance units, while the Div isions with the largest number of bridges are equipped with more units to handle the required maintenance in these areas.
Sign Shop: The Sign Shop of the Maintenance
Office is a central facility maintained for the fabrication and distribution of highway signs for use on the State system.
In addition to the production of standard advisory, regulatory and warning signs, this shop fabricates such special signing as is required for the safety, assurance and convenience of the public.
Road Condition Bulletin: The office issues a
printed road condition bulletin every month, containing a State map on which the l!J,test detour information is indicated. The bulletin shows where construction is in progress, whether a road is closed or traffic may proceed; and if the road is closed, what temporary route has been provided. Eighteen hundred copies of the bulletin are printed and distributed each month
Tire and Battery Inspection: It is the duty of the
Tire and Battery Inspection Unit to maintain records of the serial numbers of the tires and batteries assigned to each piece of automotive equipment owned by DOT. This Unit also is responsible for inspection trips to examine all tires and batteries for fitness.

As of June 30, 1972, plans were on the drawing board in various stages of completion for 17 interstate projects totaling 202 miles.

OFFICE OF UTILITIES: The Office of Utilities is responsible for coordination of railroad and utility matters among the . several offices of the Highway Division, DOT, and railroad and utili~y owners. This office is responsible for assuring that arrangements are made for relocation or adjustment of utility facilities which may be in conflict with highway construction. projects.
Where utility facilities are to be located or adjusted within the limits of highway construction projects, and where the cost of such relocation or adjustment is the responsibility of the owner, this office issues permits.
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This office also prepares contracts for the costs of relocation or adjustment of facilities when the owner is entitled to reimbursement.
The duty of coordinating all negotiations between the various railroads and the Highway Division has been assigned to this office. This includes consultation in matters regarding engineering and division of costs between railroads and governmental agencies.
OFFICE OF TRAFFIC ENGINEERING AND SAFETY: The Office of Traffic Engineering and Safety is responsible for the traffic engineering (management) of road facilities and for assuring that existing and proposed roads are in compliance with safety standards. Additionally, it has responsibility for the administration of the TOPICS (Traffic Operations Program to Increase Capacity and Safety) program and other programs which are designed to improve the safety and efficiency of highway facilities.
The activities of this office include traffic accident control, signing, marking, channelization, traffic signals, and speed control.
Field District Traffic Engineering: The office has a staff in each of the seven districts which is charged with the responsibility of collecting and interpreting data for each of the major activities of TE & S. These duties include field investigation and analysis of data required to complete investigations for traffic signal problems, high accident locations, speed zone requests, uniform standards in traffic control, traffic congestion points, and traffic engineering in congested areas. All of these studies are conducted in both urban and rural locations throughout the field districts.
General Traffic Engineerin& This section conducts traffic engineering studies of a general or special nature that could not normally be conducted or coordinated by field district traffic engineering. This section also reviews all traffic engineering reports of studies conducted by the District Traffic Engineer, dealing with the reduction of accidents and congestion and determination of traffic signalization needs. An emergency traffic signal program was begun in early 1972 for those locations which had a critical need for traffic signals to alleviate accidents.
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Control of Outdoor Advertising: Outdoor advertising sign control is an activity based on recent legislation charging DOT with the responsibility for administration of the controls established by the legislation and all subsequent regulations authorized and resulting therefrom. Since July of 1968, over i250 permits have been issued for outdoor advertising in conformance with these laws while over 2227 signs found in violation of the current legislation have been removed.
Driveway Permits: In order to maintain the safety of state roads and to protect the right of way from undue encroachment, this office controls the placement of entrance/exit driveways along state facilities.
Speed Zone Studies: This office conducts necessary speed control studies in connection with the establishment of speed zones. Recommendations are submitted to the Director of Public Safety, and, upon his concurrence, an order is issued by the De partment of Public Safety establishing a speed zone.
As annual studies of traffic speeds and speed trends on State highways are made this information is furnished to various offices and departments.
Topics Administration and Design: The TOPICS program is a federally-funded program of traffic engin eering improvements for urban areas of 5,000 population or greater. Presently there are ten urban areas where TOPICS projects are either underway or completed.
Sign Marking and Channelization Control: This unit prepares for sign work let to contract, including regulatory, warning and guide signs, pavement markings, guardrails, and other controls needed to regulate and control the flow of traffic.
Design Review: This office is responsible for the analysis of all factors involving traffic engineering or other operational controls on all roadway plans intended to be let to contract. Thus the review is made while completing a thorough analysis of requirements of traffic control and regulations involved in the geometric design of highways.
OFFICE OF STATE AID & ADMINISTRATION: The Office of State Aid & Administration was

established under GO\;ernment Reorganization July 1, 1972, and is under the direct supervision of the Assistant State Highway Engineer - Operations.
The responsibilities of this office are to administer the "State Aid" Construction Program of the Department, which is a one-hundred per cent State Aid Program. State Law allows the Department to negotiate contracts with city and county governments for improvements of their highway facilities. This Office al~o handles advertising for bids in public lettings on any projects which are not in any specifically programmed category, utilizing State Funds.
The Office of State Aid ~ Administration adminis ters the preparation and construction phase of Airport Construction through contracts with city and county governments. These projects are funded by General Funds of the State and not through motor fuel taxes.

FEDERAL LIAISON SECTION
This section is responsible for formal liaison between the Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration and assists in determining the qualifications of contractors. It is the function of this office to oversee matters relating to Federal-aid projects and the funds allotted to the State for them.
The Assistant State Highway Engineer - Federal assists and coordinates the gathering of engineering evidence in order to properly defend suits brought against DOT and serves as a witness in such law suits when necessary. He supervises and coordinates the writing of engineering specifications for contract construction projects.

This Office also acts as a liaison between the Corps of Engineers and various offices of the Department. This liaison is in connection with the relocation and construction of State highways by the Corps in conjunction with their construction of dams and reservoirs throughout the State.
Personnel of this office are also available for any assistance in carrying out any other administrative functions of the State Highway Engineer's office as may be directed.
OFFICE OF PERMITS AND ENFORCEMENT:
This office has the responsibility for issuing permits for the use of highways by special vehicles, such as over-sized and over-weight carriers, and for the enforcement of laws regarding vehicular use of the highways.
This office is specifically concerned with the new Transportation Code, passed by the General Assembly and signed by the govemor. The Code, which became effective on July 1, 1973, gave DOT full authority regarding enforcement of trucking violations, and it is this office that handles enforcement and assessments resulting from Code violations.

DIVISION OF TOLLROADS
Although given division status, the Division of Tollroads is organizationally under the Division of Highways, and the official ultimately responsible for guidelines for its activities is the State Highway Engineer. The division itself is directly headed by a Toll Facilities Administrator.
At present, Tollroads' activities are directed toward the planning of two main projects-the Atlanta tollway system, endorsed by the Atlanta Area Transportation Study of 1971, and the West Georgia Tollroad, running north to south across the western extreme of the state. The Tollroads Division and the Division of Highways have supervised feasibility studies for both systems, directed the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement on the West Georgia facility and held a series of informational public hearings in the area through which the West Georgia Tollway will run.
The division_ at this time maintains a very small staff. However, as the roads become reality, an administrative structure sufficient to handle the new roads will be needed, and the Division of Tollroads will emerge as a full-fledged division in practice as well as theory.
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STATE TOLLWAY AUTHORITY
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Among the

Many Changes

Taking Place

in transportation from 1968 - 1972 was the evolution uf the outmoded State Toll Bridge Authority into the present State Tollway Authority, presently with over $750 million of tollroad projects under study.
The Toll Bridge Authority had been created by an Act of the General Assembly approved March 2, 1953. It had the legal status of body corporate and politic and an instrumentality and public corporation of the State of Georgia, charged with constructing bridges financed by revenue bonds.
The Toll Bridge Authority's first and only project was quite successful. In November, 1954, the Authority issued bonds totaling $6,650,000 to cover the expense of constructing the Sidney Lanier Bridge across the Brunswick River in Glynn County. However, before sufficient tolls had been collected to retire issued bonds, the General Assembly, acting at the Governor's request, took special action to eliminate tolls on the bridge. The Georgia State Highway Authority was established, given bonding capacity to retire the bonds,

and on December 21, 1962, the bridge was made toll free.
Following sale of the bridge to the Georgia State Highway Authority, the Toll Bridge Authority became virtually inactive. Although Interstate construction was at its peak during the years 1962 through 1972, needs for limited access highways throughout the state had far outstripped available funds. By 1971, when the
Atlanta Area Transportation Study was finished recommending a system of tollroads for the metropolitan area - it was clear that what the state needs are
tollroad systems, not individual toll bridges.
Consequently, in March of 1972, the act creating the State Toll Bridge Authority was amended to establish the State Tollway Authority. A constitutional amendment cleared the way for state backing of Authority bonds, and the cornerstone was laid for a system of tollroads to help meet the transportation needs of a growing Georgia.
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Ull( llllllll tmm
Ullllll'l
When Tollways became a part of DOT, a series of information exhibits wereheld at various locations in order to explain this Division's operation to the public.
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Compiled and published by the Office of Information and Public Relations, Georgia Department of Transportation, No. 2 Capitol Square, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. Material herein may be quoted or otherwise reproduced without permission.
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