Georgia D epartment 
Of 
Transportation 
Annual Report Fiscal Year 1985 
 
 THOMAS D. MORELAND 
COMMISSIONER 
 
~.eparlm.ent of X.Uransportation 
- ~tate of eorgia 
~o. 2 <Uapitol ~quan 
J\tlanta, corgia 30334-1002 
 
HAL RIVES 
STATE HIGHWAY ENGINEER 
DANIEL 0 . KELLY 
TREASURER 
 
Honorable ]oe Frank Harris, Governor State of Georgia State Capitol Atlanta, Georgia 30334 
Dear Governor Harris : 
It is with great pleasure that I present to you the Georgia Department of Transportation's Annual Report for Fiscal Year 1985. The accomplishments of the Department which are reviewed in this report reflect the hard work and dedication of the 6, 000 DOT employees. These are the people who are keeping Georgia in motion. 
All Georgians can be proud of their transportation system. Improvements to the system in Fiscal Year 1985 allowed Georgians unprecedented mobility, providing greater opportunities for economic growth in both rural and urban areas of our state. 
A quality transportation system is imperative if rural Georgia is to share in the economic boom that many urban areas are experiencing, and the economic development highway system is a major step toward rural economic growth. As part of the developmental highway system, 
work continues on Corridor Z and the Appalachian Highway, and studies were initiated on the Fall Line Freeway and the Golden Isles Parkway in FY '85. 
Urban areas like Rome, Columbus and Brunswick saw major projects underway or completed. In Atlanta, key elements of the freeway reconstruction were completed and the final contracts remaining on the program were let. By the end of the decade, Atlanta will have one of the most sophisticatd urban freeway networks in the country. In Savannah, the Department spent over $6 million for work on the harbor to insure that Georgia has a quality port. 
None of the improvements of FY '85 can be viewed as isolated works. Each project that has been accomplished is a part of the greater whole, making our state a better place to live, work and play. 
After you have had an opportunity to review this report, I feel that you will share my pride in the work done by the many dedicated employees of the Department of Transportation. I am sure you join me in congratulating them on a successful year. 
 
Sincerely, 
nm,~ 
Thomas D. Moreland Commissioner 
 
 Stimulating The Economy: The Transportation Catalyst 
 
The DOT strives to keep traffic moving during construction. 
 
It has been said that Georgia has two economies - the booming economy of Atlanta, characterized by grow ing industrial development, continuous new construction and saturated roadways; and the sometimes depressed economy of rural G eorgia , characteri zed by stagnate industrial development, little or no new construction and scant access routes. While transportation access is no panacea to ailing economies, an efficient transportation system is an 
 
important ingredient for industrial development and growth, providing jobs and revenue for economically slugg ish areas. 
Fundamental to an efficient statewide transportation system is the developmental highway program. With funding assistance from the General Assembly, this program received a major focus of attention during FY '85. Designed to provide increased access for economic development opportunities in areas not served by multi-lane high- 
 
ways, this program would reconstruct approximately 25 percent of the state's primary highways to multilane tandards and provide growth opportuntttes in area th;.. have begun to lag behind wealthier urban areas. Under thi program, over 2,500 miles of add itional multi- lane highway would be provided to link communities of 10,000 or more population in a high capacity, direct access network. 
n truction on two devel pmental corridor , Corridor Z and the Appalachian Development Highway, has already begun. In FY '85, preliminary economic and planning tudies were begun on two other elements of this y tern, the Fall Line Freeway and the Golden Isles Parkway. W ork that will carry over to FY '86 wi ll study the feasibility and the expected impacts of corrido r alternates for these two corridors. 
When a road such as Corridor Z or the Appalachian Development Highway is built, it can be assumed that the road will be there on a permanent basis. Railroad lines, on the other hand, are not always so permanent. Lines that fai l to show profits are often abandoned. T o many indu tri es, railroad transportation is just as important as roadway transportation and an area that loses a railroad line loses an ace in the hole for attracting industry . DOT is concerned about 
 
railroad abandonments because, not only are railroads useful in attracting industry, they also represent the most economic mode of transportation in rural farming areas for many fa rming commoditie . In FY '85, the Office of Public Transportation completed the State Rail Plan, which provides an evaluation of rail conditions throughout the state and an analys i of those lines that are scheduled for abandonment . The analy is i detailed sufficiently to form the ba is for recommending a departmental position on proposed rail service abandonment for which an application for abandonment has been made with the Interstate Commerce Commission. Through the State Rail Plan , the state is currently engaged in three railroad rehabilitation projects, through which the Department pays railroads to make such improvements as replac ing light weight rail with heavy rail to allow more weight to be carried, replacing ties and putting in new rail. These projects will rehab ilitate 13 miles of rail between McCaysville and Blue Ridge, 2.4 miles between Murphy Junction and Mineral Bluff and 9.53 miles between Sas er and Dawson. A major project is also being studied to determine the magnitude of rail-highway conflicts throughout the state that could possibly identify other needed improvements. 
 
 While construction new road uch as the state's deve lopmental highways and the reconstruction of existing roads such as the Interstate ystem in metro Atlanta get the lion's share of publicity and the public's attention, maintenance operat ions that extend the life of exi ring roads, save money in reconstruction and provide motorists with smooth , efficient and structura lly sound highways usually go unheralded. Maintenance operati ons, however, may be mo re valuable than new con truction or major reconstruction. During FY '85 the Offi ce of Maintenance continued its efforts to extend the se rvi ce life of G eorgia's roads with improvement and protection of 17 ,962 miles of roads and 6,2 17 mile of bridges th ro ugh reurfac ing, widening, rehabilitati on and ro utine ma inte n an ce . 
After a period of continued usage, roads develop rut which ho ld water and cause ca rs to hydroplane and seri ously reduce the car'<. stability. This problem is alleviated by hot and co ld planing, which planes the high spots level , allowing water to drain properly. Should resurfacing be necessary, planing and roto mi lling reduce the 
 
Maintenance crews work to keep ou r road ides beautiful. 
 
LOGO: Controlling Outdoor Adverti~ing 
 
Pr tecting right-of-way along Georgia' Inter rates i an extre mely d ifficu lt ta k. A consistent problem is contro ll ing outdoor advertising. While billboards provide information to motorists, many become delapidated and unsightly. 
 
o billboard are allowed on state right-of-way, but some adverti er have cut down trees on the right-ofway that may obscure their igns - a criminal act. To remedy the problem, the DOT originated the LOGO program. LOGO panels are plea ing in appearance, eliminate trees being cut and give mo torists information on lodging, food and gas alo ng their way . In order for a county to qualify for the LOGO program, it must pass a DOT Board approved ordinance that is more restri cti ve of outdoor advertising than state law. At the end of FY '85, 57 counties and 17 c ities had adopted such ordinances and are qualified for the programs. 
 
Maintenance crews resurface the road to improve the conditions. 
 
depth of pavement nece sa ry, reducing the cost of the operation. Three new roto mills were purch ased during FY '85 to increase maintenance capabilities. Jo int sealing, to replace cracked jo ints caused by expansion and contraction of concrete slabs, and surface sea ling, to prevent water from getting into the base 
 
of the road causing lab movement, were continued and resulted in lower resurfacing costs. Other routine maintenance operations conducted in FY '85 in- 
cluded patching, crack fil- 
ling and bridge painting. Due to a lack of bids from 
contracting firms on asphaltic concrete pav ing jobs, a new asphalt plan t 
 
wa purchased and another plant reloca ted to increase the Departmen t's in-ho use pav ing capacity. These and other ope rations conducted by the Office of Maintenance in FY '85 complemented the Department's new construction work and helped to exte nd the service life of the existing system. 
 
 Planning and Programming 
 
]ames D. McGee, Director 
 
Office of Programming 
The Office of Programming work under Board approval and maintain the Department' Con tructim. W ork Program. The Construction Work Program i a li ti ng of des ired project in each county of the state with a de c;i:Jtion of the project, the project's status, whether or not the project ha authorized funding, and other pertinent information. Thi li ting of current and future projects help inure that all federal fund ava ilab le for expenditure are utili zed on the mo t needed projects. During Fi cal Year 19 5, over 175 bridge wide ning and bridge replacement project and over 300 widening and recon truction proj ct were added to the Con truction W ork Program, all of which hould be ready to let to contract within the next five year . 
Plan Development Bureau Future transpo rtati on de- 
ve lop me nt and the identi fica tio n of tran portation improvement projects are the primary re ponsibi lities of the Plan Development Bureau. This Burea u is a ervice unit that develops and maintains the state's co mprehen ive 20-year tran portation plan , pro- ' vides as istance to urbani zed areas with popul ati on ove r 50 ,000 and conducts regional tudies of major transportati on corrido rs at the local level to develop projects for the C on truction W ork Program. During Fiscal Year 
 
The Department works to improve rural state routes in G eorgia. 
 
1985, planning activities in urbanized areas were accel erated: forecasting models were revalidated , socioeco no mi c data base and local land u e plans were updated, and downtown acce wa empha ized with improved traffic circulat ion, timulation f econom ic revitalizat ion in downtown area , and promotion of local community bjectives. 
The Plan Development Bureau worked in urbanized area uch as Atlanta to identify improvements in respo nse to increasing demands for access to deve loping areas. The bureau also worked in less urbanized areas such as H elen to reduce congestion problems cau ed by heavy veh;cular and pedestrian traffic generated by that town's tou rism. Bureau of Public Transportation 
Public transportati on acti vities during Fi cal Yea r 1985 have progre ed rapidl y, providing G eorgian with increased mobility opportunities. The span of public transportation activities include rural public transportat ion , urban public transportat ion , railroads, park and ride lots 
 
and the Savannah Harb ' r projects among others. T h Rideshare Program continued to work with mployer and employee t create car po I, van po I and public tran portation opportunitie for commuter by opening three new Park and Rid lo t in Fi ca l Y ar 19 5. At the clos of Fi cal Y ar 19 5, there were 63 lots open tatewide, providing 5,334 pac s to fac ilitate ride haring by providing afe, clean area for commuter to park and form car p o ls and van pools. Recon truction of the Savannah H arbor dikes, with installation of weirs and outflow pipes, construction of broad based beam dikes, purchase of additional property to insure long term storage capability and regular maintenance work , comprised the backbone of Savannah H arbor work in Fiscal Yea r 1985. 
Planning Data Services Bureau 
Planning Da ta Services collec t , documents a nd reports all phy ical and trave l characteri tics of the sta te 's public roads. Accesibility to available data was enhanced in Fiscal Year 
 
1985 with the additions of 
 
the Road Informati on ys- 
 
tem and the Video Logging 
 
System. The Road Infor- 
 
mation System allows De- 
 
partment management and 
 
other u ers access, with 
 
computer terminal infor- 
 
mation uch as phy ical 
 
c h a r a c t e ri st ics, 
 
traffic 
 
cou nts, truck pe rcentage , 
 
t.hhber of accident , in- 
 
juri e and fata li tie , and 
 
data and type of last im- 
 
prove ment on any segmen t 
 
of the State Highway Sys- 
 
te m. The Video Logging 
 
Sy tern will enable the De- 
 
partment to upgrade the 
 
photolog of the tate High- 
 
way Sy tern to videolog, re- 
 
su lting in red uced costs and 
 
de lays in providing current 
 
information . The system 
 
ha a built-in computer sys- 
 
tem for storing data items 
 
such a slope and ho rizontal 
 
and ve rti cal grade data, 
 
prev iou ly not readily avail- 
 
ab le fo r Department en- 
 
gin e e rs. 
 
Bureau of Aeronautics 
 
With 
 
$ 13 ,681 ' 171 
 
worth of funding as i ranee 
 
for 42 projects, the DOT , 
 
under the auspice of the 
 
Bureau of A eronautics, 
 
continued to a sure a afe, 
 
adequate, and well main- 
 
tained y tern of airports, 
 
promote and encourage the 
 
use of av iat ion facilities 
 
and foster safer operating 
 
conditions at these 
 
faci lities during Fiscal Year 
 
1985. Various programs de- 
 
signed to ass ist new con- 
 
struction projects, main- 
 
tain the service level of the 
 
ex isting airport syste m, im- 
 
prove airpo rt te rminal 
 
 navigation aid , and assist publicly-own d airports to purcha e and in tall necessa ry equipment have resulted in re urfacing and extension of runways, rehabilitati on and installation of runway lighting and es tabli hment or improvement of instrument access. The Bureau of Aeronautic al o work to broaden and diversify local tax ba e through indu trial location and expan ion with effort to ta ilur a i ~t:-~-it 
 
program delivery to meet commu nity needs. The Georgia airport system included 118 airports that are open to the public, 105 of which are publicly owned, and wi th the fiscal and technical ass istance of the DOT's Burea u of Aeronautic , th i sys tem has been .. significan tl y improved. 
Office of State Aid Due to no Local A sist- 
ance Road Program for Fiscal Year 1985; 'a' istance ro c; cie and countie with im- 
 
provements of th eir road and treet system was accompli hed exclusively through the County/City Co ntract program. Approximately 600 county and city contra ts were handled, from authorizat ion of preli1~ inary work to beginning of contract preparat ion. umerou bridge were reviewed and evaluated and ove r a hundred of these bridge were added to the Construction Work Program for 
 
replacement. This office al o continued to proce contracts as appropriate, covering improvements of areas at state and local schoo ls, parks and o ther state instituti on , Park and Ride lo ts, traffic signals and o ther speci all y fun ded  mtracts. With the propo ed reinstatement of the Local As"istance Road Program, the Office of 
tate Aid l0ok fC'!Ward to 
an even ~q-,S prod uctive Fi cal Year 19 6. 
 
Preconstruction 
 
Alton L. Dowd, Director 
 
Location 
In order t determine the mo t suitable location for a road project, the project's environmental impact, and the public's feelings about the project, the Office of Environmental Location conduct highway location studie , performs environmental studies and holds public hearings. 
The office is also responsible for acquiring aerial photography, producing maps and cross-sections, and developing design traffic projections. 
New procedures and state-of-the-art equipment implemented and acquired during Fiscal Year 1985 enabled the office to double the project approvals and triple the cross-section production of Fiscal Year 1984. 
Right,Of,Way 
Just as maintenance is essential after a new road is 
 
Right-of-way must be acquired to expand our highway system. 
 
constructed, right-of-way mu t be protected after it is acquired and a road built on it. 
 
The Office of Right-Of- 
 
Way , not only acqu ires 
 
land and assists local gov- 
 
ern ments in acquiring land , 
 
but it must also protect the 
 
state's vested interest in 
 
right-of-way property after 
 
it is acquired by control of 
 
outdoor 
 
advertising, 
 
monitoring for encroach- 
 
ment on right-of-way by 
 
vendor or businesses, and 
 
maintenance of complete 
 
records on all deeds, ease- 
 
ments, condemnations, 
 
contracts, title information and fisca l transacti ons to insure legal ownership of acquired property pa t and present. 
During Fiscal Year 1985, 2,501 parcels of right-ofway worth $38,237,830 were acquired by the Righ tOf-Way Office. Local governments acquired 1,500 parcels of right-of-way with the assistance of the RightOf-Way office. 
Bridge and Structural Design 
While the vast majority 
 
of the work done by the Office of Bridge and Structura l Design is invo lved with the design and construction or replacement of bridges, both on and off the state route ystem, the office is also responsible for specialized structures, such as overhead signing support, drainage structures, highrise lighting along highway interchanges, and noise barriers used in highway construction throughout the state. 
Because of the high density of roads crossing the I-75/85 connector in downtown Atlanta, a significant portion of bridge design efforts during Fiscal Year 1985 were directed at the reconstruction of this corridor, which includes a to tal of 55 bridges in 4.4 miles of roadway, or 12.4 bridges per mile. 
Road and Airport Design 
Economic Development Highways, lane additions, 
 
 bypass projects, interchange additiQns, and development of one-way pair~ were projects prepared in Fiscal Year 1985 by the Office of Road and Airport Design that were indicative of the Road and Airport Design Office' functions. Road and Airport Design prepared plans for construction contracts for the many 
 
types of roadway projects located outside the ur- banlzed areas of the state and was also responsible for reviewing and solving statewide highway drainage problems associated with drivew;:ry permits. Urban Design 
Road an<l _ 1rport Deign's oppos ite nur - ~r in 
urbanized areas is the Office 
 
of Urban Design. Atlanta , Macon, Savannah, A ugu ta , Columbus and Albany are the maj or metropolitan areas in which Urban Design works preparing construction plans for highways and mass transportation projects, such as rapid rail, busways, and multi-modal systems with integrated rapid rail 
 
and busway systems. Fiscal Year 1985 saw the final three contracts let on the massive freeing the freeways project on Atlanta's metro interstate system. The first segment of this reconstruction was let for contract in 1975, and the program will have a final price of over $1 .2 billion when complete in 1988. 
 
Operations 
 
Allan Childers, Director 
 
Traffic Engineering & Safety 
Improvements to roadway , inter ection , ignal y terns and con tructio n zo ne were some of the ways the Offi ce of T raft ic and 
afety ought to reduce accidents, tnjuri e and fa tali ties during Fi cal Year 1985. This offir e also handled requests for ingress and egress to the State Highway System, adjustment in peed control and traffic signal permit . Improving railroad crossing safety continued to be a prime objective of Traffic and Safety in the last Fi cal Year. Apprioximately 96 railroad eros ing are upgraded each year at an average cost of $60,000 resulting in remarkable reduction in accidents and fatalities at railroad crossings. 
Maintenance The prime objective of 
the Office of Maintenance is to extend the service life of existing roadways. Concrete overlays, sealing, resurfacing, patching, planting and painting are the kinds of activities per- 
 
Lane signals help traffic flow. 
formed by the Maintenance Office to produce smooth, efficient and st..-ucturally sound highway . Maintenance capabilities to remove pavement rutting, having, stripping and unwanted material were enhanced in Fiscal Year 1985 by the purchase of three new roto-mills, which increases the total number of roto-mills, in service to ten. Due to one bid or nobid situations on asphaltic concrete paving jobs, a new asphalt plant was purchased and another relocated to insure that quality roads at a reasonable price would be provided in all areas of the state. 
 
vided the proverbial ounce of prevention for vehicle repairs. 
 
Office of Utilities 
 
Equipment checks are conducted. 
Oftice of Equipment Maintenance 
The major goal of the Office of Equipment Mainten ance for Fiscal Year 1985 wa the implementation of a comprehensive program to improve vehicle/equipment service1bility. Cost effective measures to attain this goal included selling 551 surplus vehicle while purchasing 432 new vehi cles, utilizing usable parts from non-u able equipment to replace damaged or worn parts of other vehicle and the use of retread tires. The need for major repairs was also reduced through an effective preventive maintenance program that pro- 
 
The Utilities Office controls the installation of all utilities on highway rightsof-way and insures that the safety and integrity of the road system is protected with minimum interference to traffic operations. The office continued to uphold this responsibility throughout Fiscal Year 1985 with adm inistration of agreements with railroads and utility companies when their faci lities were impacted by highway improvement projects and with adm inistration of agreements with local governments for the completion of traffic peration improvements such as rai lroad grade crossing signals. Activity for Fiscal Year 1985 increased 10% over the previous fiscal year with 10,019 permits issued and supervised, and $6 million worth of bills from all agreements audited and processed for payment. 
 
 Permits and Enforcements 
By enforci ng Georgia' size and weight laws, the Office of Permi t and Enforcement protect the safety of the mo torist and the conditions of the roadways. During FY '85, over a million trucks were 
 
weighed and over 8 1,000 of tho e trucks weighed were found to be in violation of the Georgia Code and were issued ci tations. Permit and Enforce ment ha 17 permanent weigh stations along the interstate , fou r of which we re added during th e vea r 1985 . In addition 
 
to these stat ions, 16 semi- 
 
portable weighing sy terns 
 
and 42 portable teams were 
 
employed statewide. Thi 
 
office al o issued permits for 
 
oversized vehicles, such as 
 
mobile home and hou e 
 
moving equ ipment , and de- 
 
ignat the route  they 
 
may u e fur I 
 
t pa age. 
 
Operations -- Districts 
 
During the Fiscal Year 
 
1985, 117 ,000 permits 
 
were issued . The efforts of 
 
the Office of Permits and 
 
Enforcement 
 
provides 
 
safety for motorists, as well 
 
as helping keep Georgia's 
 
roads more serviceable, 
 
which  reduces mainte- 
 
nance' costs. 
 
D istrict One 
 
Mobility. The lifestyle of 
 
our generation mandates 
 
that 
 
transportation 
 
change from primarily a 
 
means of servzng our 
 
commercial needs to one _ 
 
that can fulfill what our 
 
population now sees as an 
 
entitlement: Mobility. 
 
During Fiscal Yea r 1985, 
 
G ainesv ille' District One 
 
rece ived a boom to its mo- 
 
bility when three of its 
 
twenty-one 
 
n o r t h eas t 
 
Georgia cou nties passed re- 
 
ferendums approv ing addi- 
 
tional tax lev ies to boost 
 
transportation fund ing. 
 
H all ounty antic ipates 
 
rai ing $20 million ove r the 
 
next two and a h alf years 
 
through this program. Di- 
 
vidends pa id to res idents of 
 
this county from the ir ad- 
 
ditional taxes will include 
 
widen ing of . R. 60, in- 
 
cluding Thomp on Bridge 
 
across Lake L:mier, from its 
 
int rsec ti on with S. R. 11 
 
north tnward Dalonega, a 
 
north- ou th alternate route 
 
to . R. Ll to alleviate con- 
 
ge tion through Gaines- 
 
ville and a new bridge over 
 
th e hattahoochee Ri ver 
 
on Belton Bridge Road to 
 
replace Bail y Bridge. Hart County xp~ct the prog- 
 
ram to generate $4 million 
 
over the next four year . With the Department 
providing funding for construction, these tax funds will be u ed for purchase of right-of- way and utility relocation for uch project a pa ing lane and turn lane con tructi n and inter ecti on improvements on 
tate Routes 77, 8 and 51 in and around H artwell , and replacement of three off-system bridges at South Beave r Dam Creek, Shoal C ree k and Lightwood C ree k. Mad i on County expec t to generate $1.5 million over the nex t four years for similar proj ects. These and other road and bridge construction projects will show residents of the e three counti es a tangible retu rn for their dollars spe n t. 
The mobility of District O ne remained a constant challenge during the past fisca l year. Located in District One are Gwinnett County, widely recogn ized as the faste t growi ng county in the nation ; Lake 
idney Lanier, one of the mo t u @d public recreation area in the tate and the 
orth Georgia mountain a haven for ight eer , vacation home eekers and winter snow kier . 
In FY '85 . Distrir:t One 
 
met thi challenge by lectively i uing utility permits and commercial driveway permit and conducti ng traffic engineering and speed zone studie t gather information concerning traffic signals, high accident rate locations and congested areas. These type activities, combined with projects in the Construction Work Program for the District, such as the $30 million reconstruction of I85 from DeKalb/Gwinnett County to S .R. 120, the completion of the Athens perimeter, and rehabilitation of U.S . 441 in the Tallu lah G orge area , insure the transportation challenge is met both today and tomorrow. 
In order to improve ex isting fac ilities, District 
One maintenance forces resurfaced or sealed 387.62 lane miles of roadway, repainted 12 bridges, spot painted 18 bridges and seal d L1,429 linear feet of bridge joint . Maint nance force al o worked to keep roadways open and afe during th now a on, providing ki enthu ia t ace s to the I pe . 
Through tax referen- 
dums, road improvement 
and maintenance and new 
construction, District One 
 
stayed mobile in Fiscal Year 1985 . 
District Two 
olutions. Inefficient traffic flow, inadequate road capacity, outdated tructures and danger~ ous road designs are prob~ lem common to trans~ portation systems. The key to a successful trans~ portation system is not to always be without prob~ lems, but rather to be able to solve problems when they do arise. Fiscal Year 1985 for District Two saw innovative and effi~ cient problem solutions resulting in efficient trar fie flows, improved road capacities, modernized structures and a safer sys tem. 
Transportat ion problems can sometimes be solved before they ever arise through identification of viable projects by the Planning and Precon truction units. Once identified, the e project are urveyed, de igned and eventually let to contract. One uch project i the Murray Road Extension. Presently in the right-of-way acqu1s1t1on rage, thi 7.4 mile, $26 
 
 million project is designed to improve access to downtown Augusta, relieve congestion on existing arterials and improve the access and safety of the local shopping public. Maintenance to the extstmg system through such activities as resurfacing and patching, litter pick-up, sign repair and replacement, o;mcrete rehabilitation, and mowing also helped District Two stay on top of problems during the past fiscal year. 
Solutions. Congest ion on an urban thoroughfare in Augusta caused by excessive stops and turn lanes has been alleviated by lane additions. This widening ha reduced the number of unnecessa ry stop and allows room for turns into busine ses located along the route. Narrow roadway, harp curves a nd a low underpas helped to make S. R. 22 in Crawfordville the worst section of state highway in the District. A wide, smooth bypass that has relocated S. R. 22 around Crawfordville now allows much safer passage through this area. Hazards caused by a sharp curve and vertical alignment problems in an old wooden bridge in Greensboro will be eradicated with the completion of a replacement bridge with retaining walls abutting portions of adjacent property that will improve 
the area aesthetically as well. These and similar projects have resulted in les5 congestion, better utilization of transportation facilities and an increased level of safety. 
Many traffic problems were alleviated in Fiscal Year 1985 with refinements 
 
made to the District signal program. New signals were installed, while others were retimed, upgraded or removed to provide safer and more efficient intersection traffic control. The District also worked to implement legally decreed policies to restrict the number of driveways <.; access points to proposed developments in order to reduce traffic impediments that are caused by excessive access points within short intervals. The identification of hazardous railroad crossings enables preparation and 
implementation of project agreements with the railroad, and, in order to improve the safety of these crossings, nine such agreements were prepared and implemented ver the pa t fi cal year. 
olutions. In p pulated urban area uch a Augu ta or in rural areas uch a Taliaferro County, District Two worked to solve the transportation problems of eastern central Georgia while retaining the distinction of being number one in the state for employee safety. 
District Three 
Betterment. Transporta- 
tion is increasingly being recognized as a key for jobs , revenue and general economic stimulation. In order for transportation to effectively provide these things, new transportation systems must be created and existing systems must be effectively maintained and improved. The thirty-two counties of District Three zn west 
 
central Georgia saw a better transportation system in Fiscal Year 1985 with the completion of 286 construction projects and continued maintenance to the existing system, including rehabilitation work on the Interstate and state route. network . New construction 'and maintenance during the past fiscal year have given District Three a safer, more efficient, more attractive, and in general, a better transportation system. 
For Di trier Three , Fiscal Y ar 19 5 aw a tep made fo r greater economic opportunity with the opening of a 10-mile section of Corridor "Z" north of Richland in the rolling terrain of Stewart County, and substantial progress made towards opening an additional 19 miles by Fiscal Year 1987. Due to the lack of personnel in District Seven, District Three continued to work in the Metro Atlanta area during the past fiscal year and saw completion or substantial progress made in the reconstruction along key sections of the metro interstate network. Widening of the forty mile section of I-75 from Forsyth to 1-675, just south of Atlanta, will be completed in Fiscal Year 1986, providing an additional lane to facilitate the 37, 900 vehicles that use this section daily. The reconstruction of the previously narrow and substandard section on 1-75 from the south side of 1-285 to Cleveland A venue has been completed, providing 
 
congestion free passage of more than 72,000 vehicles per day. Substantial progress was made on the reconstruction of the stretch of the south perimeter from I85 to Conley Road, and travelers of this area will be using their new road by Fiscal Year 1986. Maintenance crews contributed to a better transportation system with rehabilitation work on the interstate system, such as concrete grinding and silicone joint 
sealing and with work on the District's state routes, including leveling, minor widening and chip sealing. 
Betterment. Efforts to make a safer transportation system included execution of eight railroad agreements. providing automatic protection equipment at railroad grade crossings, inspection of construction work zones, optimization of signal timing, streamlining of speed zones, reduction of unnecessary driveway access to the state route system, removal of unnecessary traffic signals and recommendations for highway signing and pavement marking improvements by the District's Traffic and Safety Office. A reduct ion in fatalities on the transportation system m District Three from 223 deaths in Fiscal Year 1984 to 186 deaths in Fiscal Year 1985, gives credence to the effectiveness of these measures. 
Additional logo signing and the removal of 150 outdoor advertising signs made for a more scenic transportation system without sacrificing motorists' aides for finding necessary facilit ies . Strides to make a more effi cient system included the addition of a park and ride 
 
 lot and the monitoring of the District' public transportat ion ystem. 
The efforts of District Three in Fiscal Year 1985 provided it con tituents with a better transportation sy tern than in Fi cal Year 1984 and efforts in Fisca l Year 1986 will be aimed at a transportation y tern that i better stilI. 
District Four 
Efficiency. District Four, comprised of thirty~ two counties m southwest Georgia, sought to pro~ vide its constituents with a cost effective and effi~ cient transportation sys~ tern in Fiscal Year 1985. At the same time, the District stressed employee safety in order to provide a safer working environ~ ment for Department em~ plo yees. 
An efficient transportation system is a key ingredient to an efficient economic system, and to that end, major e mphasis was placed on surveying, design , and right-of-way acquisition for C orridor "Z", one of the state's major developmental highways, and construction was authorized on 184 other projects. S .R. 38 from S-1715 to Watts Branch in Grady and Thomas Counti es was widened and reconstructed , 6.2 miles of median, divided, four lanes of S.R. 300 from 1-75 west to existing S. R. 300 was opened at a cost of over $11 ,000,000. Also opened were 6. 8 miles of widened and reconstruction S. R . 3 from Albany to Leesburg in Dougherty and Lee Counties, and construction on 
 
S. R. 91 from O akhaven Drive to Madison Street in Albany was completed. These state routes, combined with the District's interstate system, provide a roadway network that provides efficiency through economic stimulation by providing conven ient access. In order for new construction to realize it full potential, however, proper maintenance mu t be insured , and"' during Fi cal Year 1985 , the Fourth Di trict Mainte nance office complemented the Construction Office work with its asphalt plant production , rota-milling for roadway smoothness, upgrading and repairing of signing, ealing of bridge jo ints to prevent moisture seepage and rest ring deficient drainage . 
Safety and training was the top priority for the Fourth Di tri ct's _724 e mployees . H ands-on experience was give n to ove r 500 employees in the safe perarion of lightwe ight vehicles, dump trucks and tractor mowers, and two employees comple ted a traffic signal technic ian traini ng course. A a result of employme nt procedures aimed toward more part icipation by females and mi norities, the Distri ct wo rk force consi ted of 45.7 % minoritie and 19.8% females as of June 30 , 1985. 
In order to insure more effi cient traffic flow, District Four's Traffic and 
afety section , with a newly acquired bucket van and acces a ries, i eeking to a sume re p nsibility for operation and maintenance of all traffic ignal on the tate highway sy tern. With centra lized control of tate 
 
route signalization, safety hazard due to signal failure and motorists' frustration du e to unsynch roni zation will bo th be greatly redu ce d. 
Through selecti ve hiring, use of te mporary employee and corninued lrtrai ning by vario us academie an'd the Equal Employment Opportuni ty Office, effi ciency was characteri ti c of the Fourth Oi tri ct transportat ion system in Fi cal Year 1985. 
District Five 
Diver ity. District Five, comprised of twenty~four counties m southeast Georgia, completed work on activities in Fiscal Year 1985 that cover the spec~ trum of transportation projects. From investiga~ tion of fatal accident to rehabilitation of Savan~ nah's Harbor, some of the projects worked on were common to all dis~ tricts and some unique to the Fifth District, but all were crucial for putting people in motion. 
In order to maintain the authori zed 3 -fo t channel open fo r ship of ca ll, the 
ava nnah H arbor dike are being recon tructed and work on this 2 1.5 mile long pr ject continued during Fi cal Year 1985. A a part of this program, District Five worked on the contruction of 10 mile of dike in Jasper C ounty, South C arolina. T o facilitate dike construction on the north side of the Savannah River, DOT has acquired land in South Carolina through easement or outright purchase and pays taxes to South 
 
C aro lina on this property. everal t ime each year, 
practi ce maneuvers are conducted by the army requiring large military equipment move ments along 1-95 and 1- 16 between Fort tewart a nd Savannah Port. These maneuver typicall y begi n at 7: 00a. m. and last un t il 2:00 or 3 :00 p.m. and may in vo lve as many as 1,000 vehicles. Consolidated movement ' of such an enormou n um ber of veh icle requires special traffic con trol by the DOT. 
During Fiscal Year 1985 , District Five moni tored traffi c con tro l in four military equipment movements. Thi proced ure in vo lved lane closing and moni toring turn po int . Becau e tanks and other military equipment are heavier th an n rmal vehicles, bridges mu t be monitored to inure no more than one tank i on a bridge at any given time. These operations require exten ive planning for bo th the Army and the DOT. 
O ver the past Fisca l Year, Di tri ct Fi ve con ducted 11 2 fa tal acc ident reports. These two-phase repo rts first de termine if the nature of the roadway contributed to the cau e of the acc ident and insure any damage to the road , such as disabled guardrail or signing, is repaired. Secondl y, road characteri sti c , such as curvature, width and surface type, where the accident occurs, are compiled in a central file of accident report from throughout ~:he state. This information i used to determine patterns in road 
 
 features that are frequently related to accidents so that these features can be eliminated from the existing road and avoided in future road design. Traffic accident repair cost District Five 6,65 3 man-hours at $89, 360 in Fiscal Year 1985. 
Fiscal Year 1985: Work was completed on projects such as grading, ,1r~1inage and bridge construui, 111 , m the Torras Causewd\ 111 ()lynn County, recon~truc tiun on S. R. 38 tr, >111 Walthourville to Hin,.,_ ville in Liberty Count\ and construction of fuurlane roadway on BaxleyHazelhurst Road in Arrling County; over $5 million was srent on maintenance, park and ride lots were opened, logo signs were installed and many roadways were tested for roughness. 
District Six 
Service. With supervision of approximately $70 million worth ofconstruction activity during Fiscal Year 1985, as well as continued maintenance operations, District Six experienced a successful year in its service to the Georgians of the sixteen northwestern counties of the state. From crucial work on the Appalachian 
Highway and I-575 to 
less glamorous but equally important work such as recycling asphalt, District Six met the challenge of providing quality transportation service to its constituents. 
One of the main components of the state's De- 
 
velopment Highway System is the Appalachian Highway. During Fiscal Year 1985, right-of-way acquisition progressed steadily on the portion of this corridor bet.veen Ellijay and Blue f'. idge, while nearly 19 r:. ~c ~,f roadway between Canton and Eilijay saw the completion of grading as paving got underway. Once complete, this highway will serve as a safe and efficient mute through scenic North Cieorgia. 
Sixth District transportatiun service was made smuother, safer and more efficient as over 1,000 miles of roadway were impwved .and 24 substandard bridges were let to contract, including tlw replacement uf Rume's 50-year-uld Secund A venue bridge, a lung-time himlr<mce to effective traffic tlow. Other urban areas in the District, including Dalton, Lafayette and Rossvi lie/Fort Oglethorpe saw traffic signals replaced or reconstructed at 10 intersections and retimed at 147 others, resulting in fewer traffic delays, accidents or property damages. 
Service. Service means not only providing a quality transportation system, but providing it at the lowest 
cost to the taxpayer. To help reduce the cost of resurfacing operations, District Six began operation of its asphalt plant located near Resaca during Fiscal Year 1985. This centrally located plant provides service to a large area for resurfacing and widening operations. Because the plant is equipped to recycle old asphalt, salvaged materials can be re-used with a savings in tax dollars. 
 
The District's public transportation program continued its service to area residents with over 1,000 trips for shopping, medical care and other necessary trips that could not he made otherwise. Some 1, 500 
 
commuters made usc of the District's park and ride lots, allowing efficient use of the 
 
transportation system while conserving energy. 
District Seven 
 
Relief Motorists of the 
 
metn) district have hl'en 
 
in -"l'Urch of tmn.'ifli Jrta- 
 
tlon relief for the fH'it dec- 
 
ade. 
 
"Are 
 
thn- 
 
LTLT 
 
1roin ~..., 
 
~ u 
 
to get thro11gh 1mrking on 
 
the lnterstatl's?" is a 
 
question Atlanta drivers often asked. To many, 
 
the jammed freeways and 
 
the headaches they cause have become an accepted 
 
part of life, but advance- 
 
ments were made during 
 
Fiscal Year 1985 to make 
 
relief more obtainable; 
 
construction and recon- 
 
struction projects were 
 
completed, surveys and 
 
traffic studies were conducted, plans for future 
 
projects were prepared 
 
and new equipment and 
 
procedures were Implemented. 
 
For an update on the Department's "Freeing the Freeway" program, an ongoing reconstruction project to relieve metro Interstates of congestion, l-85 from the Rrookwood interchange to North Druid Hills Road, l-285 from West Paces Ferr_y Road to Roosevelt Highway, l-75/ 85 from Williams Street to 16th Street, the l-20/1-85 
 
interchange in DeK~db County, and l-20 from Pryor Street to Hightower Road were all comrleted during Fiscal Year 1985. Projects that remain active include the construction of 1-75 between the Lakewood Freeway and Williams Street and between 16th Street and West Paces Fern Road, the reconstructi, >n ,,j the 1-85/1-285 ComnH >n section in Clayton Cuun t\, and the interchange recunstruction at 1-85/l-2tl'i. Progress was also made 011 non-interstate l'n 1jects such as the Austell h -!',tss, the Camp Creek P;nl._,,,t\', rhe Presidential Park 11. I\', and reconstruction of ~.I\. 400 from 1-285 to Ha\ tws Rridge Road and Old 1-:-.:) from Peachtree Road tu Buford Highway. In ~dl. District Seven was supLTvising activities on 301 ~Ic tive construction projects at the close of Fiscal Year 1985. 
The District Preconstruction Office laid the groundwork for construction to begin on other pn 1jects with surveys of interchange projects, widenint; and reconstruction pr, ,_ jeers, turn lane and passint; lane projects and new location projects. New right-ufway was staked and construction layouts com- 
pleted. State and consultant personnel worked t' 1gether during Fiscal Yc1r 1985 to efficiently obtain the necessary field data t~1r plan production, while plan production itself was made more efficient through the use of new computer software and hardware that allows designers to prepare plans faster and cheaper. The District 
 
 cheduling section produced and i constantly monitoring programmed projects to insure contracts are let as scheduled, guaranteeing optimization of ava ilable funds. In order to assure federal and state fu nd are allocated properly, the Road In ventory ectio n completely re-inventoried Douglas and Rockdale Counties b r roads and was in the process 
 
of re- inventoring DeKalb and Fulton Counties at the close of Fiscal Year 1985. 
In order to make the existing state highway system safer and more efficient in Fiscal Year 1985, the District completed fata l accident inve tigation , traffic sign al reviews, peed zone ana ly es and provided ass istance to vario u citie and counties with regard to traffic igna l operatio ns. A 
 
new herbicide program that ha cut the necessity for mechanical mowing in half and a new sweeping program that allows fo r all barrier walls of the Interstate system to be swept mo nthly wer both im- 
1 
plemented ~y;  Maintenance Office to prov ide an efficient, a well a attractive, y t m with a minimum pending of tax dollar . 
 
"Are they ever going to get through working on the Interstates ?" Yes, with a continuation of the efforts District Seven saw in Fiscal Year 1985, stagnate freeways will be greatly relieved and the safe, efficient and cost effective transportation system that District already pos esses can be fully appreciated by the traveling public in the years to 
c m. 
 
Administration 
 
Daniel 0. Kelly, Director 
 
Air Transportation 
With a cu rrent fl eet of seven aircraft, including a passenger jet, the Office of Air Transportatio n provides transportation to state offici als and agencies in all types of weather, and provides support to the Aerial Survey Lab with its Aerial Photography Aircraft. During Fiscal Year 1985, 1, 116 trips were flown for a total of 1,192 ,887 passenger miles. 
 
General Accounting 
 
The Office of General 
 
Accounting 
 
functions 
 
through five primary work 
 
groups. Payro ll processes all 
 
d istrict and gen eral office 
 
payrolls through checks 
 
and direct electronic de- 
 
posits. Wages and benefits 
 
disbursed during Fiscal Year 
 
1985 
 
t o t a le d 
 
$140,426,952.21. The 
 
Contractor Payments group 
 
processes contractor pay 
 
statements and pays con- 
 
tractors through direct de- 
 
posits into contractor es- 
 
crow accounts in 150 banks 
 
The DOT has a current fleet of seven aircraft. Computer systems monitor departmental activities. 
 
throughout the state. Contractor earnings over the last fiscal year totaled $544,057,987.55. Accounts Payable handles all cash management duties and genera l payment accounts. Proj ect Acco unting ma inta ins all project co t accounts and the Current Billing group collects all federal aid reimbursement due the Department. This gro up billed the Federal Highway Administration for $349,440,410.89 in Fiscal Year 1985 . Audits and Fiscal Procedures 
Internal Audit performs operational audits to insure the Department is in compliance with federal and 
 
state regulation. Beginning in Fiscal Year 1986, the findings of this group will be made a part of the State Auditors Annual Report. External auditors perform financial compliance cost audits on railroad and utility force account expenditures and pre-award reviews of consultant contracts. During Fiscal Year 1985, 394 audits and reviews were performed by this group. The Fiscal Procedures group reviews, develops and implements sound accounting and operating procedures for the Department. 
General Support Services From monitoring De- 
 
partment expenditures to installation and maintenance of heating and air conditioning units, the Office of General Support Services covers a broad spectrum of act ivities, most of which provide service to o ther offices in the Department. A total of 16,000 active project file are kept that require an average of 700 filing transactions daily. During Fiscal Year 1985, ove r 1, 126 cubic feet of records were transferred to the State Records Center. A computerized system monitors 8,000 pieces of Departmentowned equipment, and an 8.1 percent decrease in the operating cost of the De- 
 
 partrnent's vehicle fleet was realized from Fiscal Year 1984 to Fi cal Year 1985. Disposal of urplus property, management of safety 
 
programs and procurement of suppliers and equipment are a! o functions of this office. 
The Legal Affair group 
 
was recently transferred to thi.s office. The group is responsible for non-bid contract preparation, conducting admi ni trative hearings 
 
on police and DOT law en forcement citations an performing legal researc for the Department whe needed. 
 
Special Staff 
 
John S. Hassell, ]r., Executive Assistant 
 
Office of Systems Development 
 
At the end of Fiscal Year 
 
19 5, four Department 
 
co mputers were in opera- 
 
tion for use in Manage ment 
 
Information processing, 
 
Engineering Design , In- 
 
teractive Graphics, and 
 
Permits and Enforcement. 
 
The re pan ibility for man- 
 
ag ing and operating these 
 
c mputer y rem , as well 
 
a providing y tern analysis 
 
and programming upport 
 
t the va ri us office of the 
 
Department, belong to the 
 
Office of y tern Develop- 
 
ment. everal advance- 
 
ments were made in DOT 
 
computer operation in Fis- 
 
cal Yea r 1985. A new VAX 
 
computer was installed that 
 
ha given the Department 
 
additi o n a l 
 
computing 
 
powe r and uniformity of 
 
operating ystems and pro- 
 
ced ures. The Department 
 
has entered the world of in- 
 
te ractive graphics with the 
 
in talla tion of an Inter- 
 
graph System, and con- 
 
struction plans, topog- 
 
raphic m:.=tp , and other data 
 
for use on construction 
 
plans can now be p~;oduced 
 
interactively. In August 
 
1984, the Department in- 
 
stalled a centralized net- 
 
work of multiplexors, up- 
 
grading the small , single- 
 
computer acces network to 
 
a larger, multiple-access 
 
network providing access to 
 
u er in the di triers, metro 
 
Construction crews build roads for Georgia's growing population. 
 
Atlanta locations, dial-up u er , and selected user in the General Office. The Department continued with the rede ign and update of the Contracts Administration ystem for installat ion of an in-house VAX computer, and the development of a c itation system for use with the issuing of permits for overweight and over-size vehicles which began in Fiscal Year 1985. 
Office of Engineering Services 
Engineering Services is responsible for plan review of all Fede ral Aid projects to insure that all construction plans satisfy the intended programming concept and that general and state design guidelines are met. This office also proposes final construction cost estimates for all projects let to contract and advises the 
 
Office of Construction on Value Engineering proposals and other negotiations necessary for on-going construction projects. In Fiscal Year 1985, Engineering Services continued to fulfill an importatnt role in the Preconstruction activities of the Department through arranging, conducting, and reporting on Location inspections and Field Plan reviews. The establishment of a cost-data base will provide a more accurate estimate of costs during the early planning stages of future projects. 
Office of Personnel The Office of Personnel 
provides personnel administration support through evaluation of personnel requirement atta inment, recruitment, training, and assurance of equal employment opportunities. With the retirement of many vet- 
 
eran employee and add. tiona! ones ant1c1pate over 60 Civil Engineerin Technologists and Civi Engineers have been re cruited and the pool schools from wh ich the D partment traditionally r cruits has been expanded. The employee career cou seling and employee assis ance programs were co tinued over the past fisc year, and the Employe Suggestion Program Com mittee ha been restruc tured to review employe suggestions submitted t the Merit System progra for improving Departmen policies and procedure Job cia sifications salaries were reviewed ave Fiscal Year 1985 resul tin in a 33 percent increa e i promotions within the De partment. Accomplish ments in the area of train ing in Fiscal Year 1985 in eluded updating th Maintenance Forema Academy, developing self-study text on erosio control, and completing video training tape on c n crete slab repair. The De partment's commitment t equal employment oppor tunities is documented b the fact that from Janua r 1, 1985 through Augu t31, 1985, 46.6 perce nt of a l newly hired employee were minorities and 20.4 percent were women. Also, from October 1, 1984 
 
 through June 30, 1985, 9.6% of the Department's construction expenditures went to Disadvantaged Business Enterprises or Women's Business Enterprises. 
Public Information 
As FY '85 drew to a close, the Public Information Office was able to reflect not only on the positive accomplishments of the Department, but also on the successes of our office as a communications outlet for the DOT. 
The publicatiom division of our office \\'d~ responsible for the production of several items during the year. The T ransformation, a weekly compilation of noteworthy articles from newspapers across the state, kept the Commissioner and all Division Directors informed of statewide media coverage. "The Georgia DOT News" was printed on a quarterly basis and continued to serve as the primary source for interdepartmental news. In addition to these publications, the Information Office also assisted with the completion of the 1985 Annual Report and periodically produced various departmental brochures and pamphlets. 
Aside from publications, the Information Office maintained continuous contact with the public during the year through a variety of sources. The Information office responded to :1umerous inquiries, both 
by mail and by phone, 
answering questions relative to the Department and its activities. Similarly, information was dispersed to 
 
radio and television stations and newspapers across the state through press releases, interviews and personal contacts. Information was provided concerning traffic interruptions and construction through the use of a telephone answering system set up after hours and on weekends. 
As always, the dour to the Information Office remained open so th<~, hctter communications mi~hr he enhanced within the Department and between the people of Georgia and the DOT. 
Community Relations The Office of Commu- 
nity Relations serves as a direct liaison for the Commissioner's office and the general public. The primary purpose of the Community Relations office is to interact with the citizens in order to solve problems that cannot be resolved through normal department channels. 
Policy Planning When asked the com- 
mon question, "What do you do?," employees of the Policy Planning Group have a difficult time choosing how to respond. The great diversity of tasks assumed by Policy Planning defies easy description, but can be broken down into the two categories of policy research and administrative 3ssistance. 
The area of policy research includes issues and trend tracking, which means searching through national newspapers and trade publications for the latest developments in transportation technology and also changes in the 
 
workplace. 
 
The daily news search 
 
yields pertinent articles 
 
which are circulated to 
 
managers, and also yields 
 
two weekly publications. 
 
One of th: 'e, "In Brief," is 
a compilation cf condensed 
 
transportation news from around the ~orld, while the 
 
tlther is a sheet of transpor- 
 
tation blurbs called 
 
"Around the USA," taken 
 
fn lll1 a national newspaper. 
 
Tlw-,e publications help 
 
kL'L'\' ,kpartmental personnel ~threast of environmenLd ~m,l social changes 
 
\\'h ic h attL'L't transportation sen ices. 
 
The r,)licy Planning Gmup ~ds,l m,tinrains files of resource infurm~ttion on 
 
a variety uf tLmspurration 
 
topics, anll em cumpile 
 
back-ground rep' lrts ,ll1 pol- 
 
icy issues as they arise by 
 
drawing from these filL'S and supplementing inform~ttion 
 
gained from within the De- 
 
partment. A record is kept, t~lr in- 
 
stance, of pertinent statis- 
 
tics concerning motor fuel 
 
taxes and alternative fund- 
 
ing options. From this data, 
 
comparative 
 
statistics 
 
showing Georgia's position 
 
relative to other states can 
 
be compiled. In addition, 
 
the Policy Planning Group 
 
regularly provides to DOT 
 
managers statistical infor- 
 
mation on a variety ofother 
 
topics and occasionally re- 
 
sponds to public inquiries. 
 
In FY '85, the group 
 
played an active role in 
 
compiling information 
 
about economic develop- 
 
ment in Georgia which 
 
showed the need for greater 
 
four-lane access to rural 
 
areas of the state. Policy 
 
Planning worked with Dr. 
 
Charles Floyd, a consultant 
 
from the University of 
 
Georgia, in compiling 
 
county-by-county data on 
 
economic growth. Analysis 
 
of the Appalachian De- 
 
velopmental Highway in 
 
other states, and a factory 
 
location study in Georgia 
 
added to the growing body 
 
nf evidence suggesting the 
 
need for more four-lane 
 
highways. 
 
Background reports pre- 
 
pared by the Policy Plan- 
 
ning Group sometimes serve as the ba~is for Policy 
 
Committee 
 
meetings, 
 
where DOT managers who 
 
are involved in a certain 
 
area come together to work 
 
out the best possible solu- 
 
tion based on the most ac- 
 
curate information availa- 
 
ble. This has been an effec- 
 
tive management tool in 
 
the past. Another policy 
 
tool for management is the 
 
process of program review, 
 
where a specific functional 
 
area is examined to deter- 
 
mine a level of maximum 
 
efficiency. The Policy 
 
Planning Group completed 
 
program reviews in FY '85 
 
which examined the usage 
 
of telephone conference 
 
calls, among other things. 
 
The other activity area 
 
of the Policy Planning 
 
Group stems from the need 
 
of top management for a 
 
flexible response to ad- 
 
ministrative tasks as Lhey 
 
arise. Because of its usage 
 
of short-term student in- 
 
terns, Policy Planning is 
 
ideally suited to track legis- 
 
lative issues during the an- 
 
nual General Assembly ses- 
 
sion. The group maintains 
 
a list of all bills that may 
 
affect transportation in 
 
Georgia, and tracks each of 
 
these bills through the in- 
 
tricate tangle of legislative 
 
procedure. Federal legisla- 
 
tion and rulemaking are 
 
monitored through daily 
 
 perusal of the "Congre sional Record" and "Federal Register." 
 
Other administrative dutie include a i ting the 
o mmi i ner in compi l- 
 
ing hi annual goal for management, assisting the Board by compiling infor- 
 
marion and staffing Board workshops where policy issues are discussed. 
 
Constr ctton 
 
Alva R. Byrom, Director 
 
Con truction 
 
The Office of Construc- 
 
tion i charged with the re- 
 
pon ibili ty of monitoring 
 
the progress and quality of 
 
all highway, bridge and 
 
highway-related construc- 
 
tion projects . This office is 
 
the clearing house for all re- 
 
vi ions and changes made 
 
on active construction pro- 
 
jects which includes the 
 
processing of time exten- 
 
sions, supplemental and ex- 
 
tension 
 
agreements, 
 
change orders and force ac- 
 
count agree ments. Con- 
 
truction progress and qual- 
 
ity are monitored by the Of- 
 
fice of Construction. Office 
 
staff members serve as 
 
liaison personnel to each of 
 
the seven field di tricts to 
 
furnish technical expertise 
 
on unusual and extraordi- 
 
nary construction problems 
 
that are encountered. 
 
These engi neer also have 
 
the respon ibility of making final acceptance of all federally-funded highway projects. 
Contract Administration The process of placing 
construction projects under contract with private contractor or local government i handled by the Office of Contract AdminisJration. Thi process includes proposal preparation, adverti ing for bids, conducting the letting, contract preparation and i su ing the notice to proceed with the work. During the project construction, Contract Administration activities include payment to the contractors and auditing of all the constructi on project records to assu re that tax reserves are properly spent. Fiscal Year 1985 saw the two largest contracts ever let by the De- 
 
partment, the $111 million I-75185 rec nstruction through downtown Atlanta and the $ 103 millio n I-75/ 85 - I-20 interchange recon truction. 
Materials & Research The Materials and Tests 
Bureau, the Research and Deve lopment Bureau and the Geotechnical Engineering Bureau comprise the Office of Materials and Re earch . The Mate ri als and T e t Burea u is respo nsible for quality contro l of material a well a workmanship incorporated into highway con truction by conducting test to insure conformance with approved plan and specifications. For example, a nuclear moisture density gauge is used on embankment, road base and asphaltic concrete to guarantee a properly densified, stable 
 
and durable pavement. The Re earch and Development Bureau evaluates newly developed material and innovative con truction procedure that are being developed continuously and recommends whether they should be implemented . Pavement condition surveys such as skid resistanc , smoothness and interstate pavement evaluations are conducted and the data is used to schedu le and design pavement rehabilitation. The Geotechnical Engi nee ring Bureau performs oi l survey and bridge foundation studies for design and construction of subsurface support structures for bridges and provides technical assistance when problems occur during various phases of construction opera tions such as retaining walls, subgrades and bases. 
 
The Department frequently uses cranes to aid in construction such as maneuvering bridge sections into place. 
 
 Financing Georgia's Needs, Expended Income 
 
Sources of revenue for the department are the state motor fuel tax, state general funds and federal funds. Other funds available include motor fuel taxes carried over from previous years and miscellaneous funds. Unlike a lot of other states, Georgia does not utilize motor vehicle registration fees, auto license tag fees, tolls, dealer permits or inspection fees to supplement the transportation budget. Instead, Georgians pay a 7Yz per gallon motor fuel tax and a 3 percent sales tax on motor fuels to fund transportation in Georgia. Interest earned off motor fuel tax funds is also used to fund transportation. 
Not only is the user tax the foundation on which the system is built, it also is an important tool with which to leverage federal funds. Georgia, however, 
 
has the lowest highway user charge in the United States. It has been mcreased only once in the past 30 years - from 6Yz cents per gallon to 7Yz cents per gallon in 1971. Revenues from the motor fuel tax grew only 5 percent during FY '85, while state revenue from other sources increased by an average of 14.9 percent. 
Expenditures in FY '85 totaled more than one billion dollars. Although expenditures rose $324 million from FY '84 levels, much of the increase ($226 million) was for letting of contracts to widen I-75/85 (the downtown connector). Another major increase in FY '85 spending was an extra $34 million in general obligation bond debt service which includes a $35 million federal ACI payment. Also, the cost of personal services increased 
 
7.8 percent and regular operating expenses rose 8.6 percent. In FY '85, the DOT cut the cost of travel expenses, publications, real estate rentals, harbor maintenance and geodetic control. The DOT held the line on most other budget items. 
Georgia also made significant steps toward funding the Developmental Highway System in FY '85, thanks largely to a state budget surplus during that year. Georgia's economic and social standing will be strengthened by the undertaking of this important program. But, future pressures on state budget growth and the slow growth of motor fuel tax revenues will make funding developmental highways a greater challenge. 
Georgians continue to benefit from austere budgeting and wise man- 
 
agement by the DOT. We enjoy well-maintained roads while some states are raising user fees and still others face problems of crisis proportions. Costcutting measures such as preventive maintenance, increased productivity and joint construction/maintenance projects mean taxpayers are getting the most mileage for their motor-fuel tax dollars. 
The DOT continues to meet the challenge of providing safe and adequate roads. In order to meet future challenges, the Department is continually seeking new ways to deliver services at the lowest possible cost. Increasing public pressure to control the cost of government services and declining fuel consumption will make the challenge even tougher. New methods of financing transportation must be explored. 
 
 During FY '85, DOT continued to provide tran ~ portation in a co t effective and time efficient manner to get the most out of every tax dollar. 
The Office of Bridge and Structural De ign con~ tinued work on the exten~ sive retaining wall sy tern u ed on the I~ 75/85 con~ nector recon truction in downtown Atlanta. Use of retaining walls in this con~ struction allows widening of the roadway within exi t~ ing right~of~way with the retaining wall holding the roadway from adjacent property or vice~versa. Al~ though retaining walls are expensive to build, they can be cons~ructed at a frac~ tion of the cost of addi~ tiona! property in down~ town Atlanta that would have to be purcha ed if re~ 
taining walls were not used. Defunct projects and 
road abandonments result in excess or surplus property for the Department's Right~ 
 
of~Way office . Rather than 
 
letting this property fa ll 
 
idle, the Department has 
 
the land appraised and old 
 
at the market value with 
 
the fi r t ption going to the 
 
per on from whom the De~ 
 
partment originally ob~ 
 
rained the property. If the 
 
Department doe not sell 
 
the excess property it may 
 
swap the land for other land 
 
that may be needed. This 
 
policy helps to hold right~ of~way acquisition costs to 
 
a minimum. In FY '85, six 
 
direct sales of surplus prop~ 
 
erty returned $1,019,610 to 
 
the transportation fund. 
 
The disposal of other 
 
surplus property such as vehicles and equipment re~ 
 
turned $570,564. 81 in ad~ 
 
ditional motor fuel money 
 
to the Department. 
 
New, 
 
ta te~of~th e ~ a rt 
 
equipment acquired by 
 
various Department offices 
 
h as allowed for greater pro~ 
 
ductivity and better ser~ 
 
vice. The Location office's 
 
new photogrammetric and 
 
survey ing equipment ha more than doubled produc~ tion in that area while a new computer~aided cro s~ 
sectioning instrument ha increa ed production of cross~ ections at a three fold level. Planning Data Services acquired a new video logging system that will reduce costs and delay in providing uch informa~ tiona slope and horizontal and vertical grade data to Department engineers. Wise management and ef~ fective maintenance of existing equipment con~ tinued to provide cost sav~ ings in FY '85 . Using work~ ing parts fro m non~working equipment to replace worn parts of working equip~ 
ment, or cannibalization, resulted in $ 150,000 worth of parts for department equ ipment. Usage of recap tires increased 30% in FY '85 over FY '84. An e ti~ 
mated 2,000 recapped tires were used over the past fis~ cal year. 
 
 FISCAL 1985 ACTUAL AUDITED EXPENDITURES 
EXPENDITURES 
Agency Summary 
Personal Services ........................................................ $ 141,772,756.71 Regular Operating Expense .................................................. 49,778,628.52 Travel ............................................................................ 1,400,889.53 Motor Vehicle Equipment Purchases ....................................... 2,322,654.96 Publications and Printing ........................................................ 757,544.09 Equipment Purchases ......................................................... 11,723,781.14 Computer Charges ............................................................. 2,027, 748.52 Real Estate Rentals . .. .. .. . ... .. ... .. .. . .. .. . . .. . . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . . .. ... . . ... . .. . 1,082,528.48 Per Diem, Fees and Contracts .............................................. 15,359,754.91 Capital Outlay ............................................................... 691,982,327.88 Authority Lease Rentals ..................................................... 24,452,288.76 General Obligation Bond Debt Service ................................... 38,436,028.61 Grants to Counties .. . . .. . .. . .. .. . .. .. .. . ... . . ... . . .. . .. . . .. . . .. .. . . .. .. .. . .. . 9,317 ,013.00* Grants to Municipalities .................................................... 9,317,000.00* Harbor Maintenance Payments ................................................. 399,986.04 MassTransitGrants ........................................................... 4,908,176.43 Geodetic Control .................................................................. 124,179.94 Capital Outlay Airport Development ......................................... 673,526.01 Capital Outlay Airport Operational Improvements .. . .. .. . . .. .. . .. . .. . .. 1,077 ,352. 93 Capital Outlay Airport Approach Aid ........................................ 150,130.68 Telecommunications ........................................................... 1,621,648.40 Spoilage Area Acquisition Clearing & Preparation ...................... 4,079,273.91 
TOTAL ................................................................... $1,012,765,219.45 
Not included in OOT Audit 
REVENUES 
State General Funds ....................................................... $ 18,224,340.87 Federal-Aid and Other* ................................................... 697,099,842.95 Motor Fuel Tax .............................................................. 297,441,035.63 
*Other funds includes prior year and miscellaneous funds 
 
 FISCAL 1985 ACTUAL AUDITED EXPENDITURES 
 
Planning and Construction Activity 
 
EXPENDITURES 
Personal Services .......   $ 69,836,403.48 Regular Operating Expense ........... 5, 126,131.57 Travel ..............  ................ 894,662.92 Publications and Printing ............... 191,514.85 Equipment Purchases .................... 421,234.64 Real Estate Rentals ......................... 26,320.00 Per Diem Fees and Contracts ...... 12,705,201.64 Computer Charges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141, 128. 14 Capital Outlay ....................... 648,799,735.07 Geodetic Control ......... ...... ... ...... . 124,179.94 Telecommunications ................... 1,109,990.35 Motor Vehicle Equipment Purchases ... 13,200.00 
 
REVENUES 
State General Funds .............. $ 6,641 ,466.6H Fcder<ll-Aid and Other* ........... 587,974,764.60 Motor Fuel Tax ...................... 144,773,471.32 
Other fun,!, include prior yc:1r and miscellaneous funds 
 
TOTAL ............................. $739,389,702.60 
 
Maintenance and Betterments Activity 
 
EXPENDITURES 
Personal Services .................. $ 60,762,944.73 Regular Operating Expense ......... 43,125,826.91 Travel ....................................... 317,209.34 Publications and Printing ................. 55,914.95 Per Diem Fees and Contracts ........ 1,053,329. 55 Computer Charges ............................. 180.88 Telecommunications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206,6 31.91 Capital Outlay ........................ 42,740,274.38 
 
REVENUES 
 
State General Funds ............. $ 
 
0.00 
 
Federal-Aid and Other* ............ 48,179,950.15 
 
Motor Fuel Tax ...................... 100,082,362.50 
 
Other funds include prior year and miscellaneous funds 
 
TOTAL ............................. $148,262,312.65 
 
Facilities and Equipment 
 
EXPENDITURES 
Motor Vehicle Equipment Purchases $ 2,255,834.61 
Equipment Purchases .................. 10,326,492.21 Computer Charges ......................... 829,407.68 Capital Outlay .............................. 437,203.43 
 
REVENUES 
 
State General Funds ................ $ 
 
0.00 
 
Federal-Aid and Other* .............. 10,856,274.84 
 
Motor Fuel Tax .......................... 2, 992,663.09 
 
Other funds include prior year and other funds 
 
TOTAL ................................ $13,848,937.93 
 
 FISCAL 1985 ACTUAL AUDITED EXPENDITURES 
 
Administration Activity 
 
EXPENDITURES 
Personal Services .................... $ 9,871,005.00 Regular Operating Expense . . . .. .. ... .. . 897,818.60 Travel ....................................... 149,0!5.1~ Publications and Printing ............... 486,074.2 7 Computer Charges ..................... 1,048, 928.65 Real Estate Rentals ..................... 1,056,208.48 Per Diem Fees and Contracts ... ... . .. . 226, 198.22 Authority Lease Rentals ............ 24,452,288.76 Genera~ Obligation Bond Debt Service .......................... 38,436,028.61 Telecommunications ..................... 275,563.55 
 
REVENTTP5 
 
State General Funds ................ $ 
 
0.00 
 
Federal-Aid and Other* ............ 36,623,663.76 Motor Fuel Tax ....................... 40,270,601.32 
 
Other includes prior year and miscellaneous funds 
 
TOTAL ............................... $76,899,189.48 
 
Air Transportation 
 
EXPENDITURES 
Personal Services ..................... $ 552,644.30 Regular Operating Expense ............. 579,187.04 Travel ......................................... 14,656.28 Publications and Printing ..................... 532.20 Equipment Purchases .................... 970,774.93 Telecommunications ........................ 5,459.41 Capital Outlay ............................... 5,115.00 
 
REVENUES State General Funds ................. $1,409,879.14 Federal-Aid and Other* ................ 718,490.02 Motor Fuel Tax .................................... 0.00 
Other includes prior vear and miscellaneous funds 
 
TOTAL ................................ $2,128,369.16 
 
Inter,Modal Transfer Facilities Activity 
 
EXPENDITURES 
Personal Services ..................... $ 749,759.20 Regular Operating Expense ............... 49,664.40 Travel ......................................... 25,285.65 Publications and Printing ................. 23,507.82 Equipment Purchases .. . .. . . .. .. ... .. . ... . .. 5, 279.36 Per Diem Fees and Contracts ........ 1,375,025.50 Mass Transit Grants ................... 4,908,176.43 Capital Outlay Airport Development .............................. 673,526.01 Capital Outlay Airport Operational Improvements ........... 1,077 ,352. 93 Capital Outlay Airport Approach Aid ............................. 150,130.68 Telecommunications ....................... 24,003.18 Motor Vehicle Equipment Purchases ... 53,620.35 Computer Charges .......................... 8,103.17 
 
REVENUES State General Funds ................. $3,456,009.01 Federal-Aid and Other* .............. 5,667,425.67 Motor Fuel Tax .................................... 0.00 
Other funds include prior year and miscellaneous funds 
 
TOTAL ................................ $9,123,434.68 
 
 FISCAL 1985 ACTUAL AUDITED EXPENDITURES 
 
Harbor Maintenance Activity 
 
EXPENDITURES 
Harbor Maintenance Payments Spoilage Area Acquisition .......... $ 399,986.04 
Spoilage Area Clearing & Preparation ............... 4,079,273.91 
 
REVENUES 
State General Funds ................. $ 399,986.04 Federal-Aid and Other* .............. 4,079,273. 91 Motor Fuel Tax .................................... 0.00 
*Other funds include prior year and miscellaneous funds 
 
TOTAL ................................ $4,479,259.95 
 
Grants 
 
EXPENDITURES Grants to Counties .................. $ 9,317,013.00 Grants to Municipalities .............. 9,317,000.00 
TOTAL ............................... $18,634,013.00 
 
REVENUES 
State General Funds ................. $6,317,000.00 Federal-Aid and Other* .............. 3,000,000.00 Motor Fuel Tax ......................... 9,317,013.00 
Other funds include prior year and miscellaneous funds 
 
1985 Apportionment of Federal..Aid Highway Funds to Georgia 
Interstate System* ........................................................................................ $123,085,418.00 Interstate 3R and 4R ....................................................................................... 79,942,777.00 Federal-Aid Primary ........................................................................................ 55,280,227.01 Federal-Aid Secondary ..................................................................................... 16,948,185.00 Urban Highways ............................................................................................. 15,689,924.00 Bridge Replacement ......................................................................................... 30,268,896.00 Safety .......................................................................................................... 10,040,674.00 Appalachian Highway ....................................................................................... 4,272,000.00 Minority Business Enterprises ................................................................................. 267,300.00 Forest Highways ................................................................................................. 202,853.00 Other ........................................................................................................... 4,216,659.00 
TOTAL .................................................................................................... $340,214,913.01 
Reduced by $38 million bond payback 
 
 Published By 
the Department of Transportation 
Offices of Public Information 
 
$1099(500