GEORGIA . DEPAR- TMENT OF TRANS P 0 R T A TI 0 N. 1 9 9 1 ANNUAL REP o R T . ' .,... I A ~'or/d ... A Way ' STATE TRANSPORTATION BOARD OF GEORGIA Representing Georgia's Ten Congressional Districts Downing Musgrove Fust District .. BiUy Langdale Second District Frank Morast Third District WiUiam Evans Fourth District Brad Hubbert Fifth District Max Goldin Sixth District Johnny Gresham Seventh District / James Conner Eighth District Steve Reynolds Ninth District James Lester Tenth District ..... Fiscal Year 1991 (July 1, 1990- June 30, 1991) A World . .. A Way At the Georgia DOT, we are constantly striving to help push Georgia to the forefront of an increasingly competitive world economy through the development and maintenance of the state's transportation network. This intricate network, comprised of highways, airports, transit systems, ports and railroads, provides the state's vital link to international business and trade. In this fiscal year, the DOT continued to be successful in making advancements and improvements in the state's transportation network while planning for future needs and maintaining respect for environmental concerns. Contents 2 Organizational Chart 3 Message to Georgians 4 Georgia's Gateway to International Trade 6 Ten-Year Transportation Plan (1991- 2001) 8 Environmental Concerns and Actions 10 Fiscal Year 1991 Highlights 12 Financial Information FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT Organizational Chart Current as of June 30, 1991 I Governor I The People I I I State Transportation Board General Assembly I I I Engineering Services I Planning& Programming I I Commmloner I I Secretary to the Board/ J I Executive Assistant I I I I I State Highway Engineer I I Deputy Commmioner I Treasurer I Preconstructlon I I Construction I I Operations I I Adminl5tratlon I Programming Bridge & Structural Design - Construction r- Maintenance Audit, & Fiscal Procedures 1- Personnel ~ Intermodal Programs I Mass Tran,it ~ Environment/ Location - Right-of-Way - Contracts Administration 1- Materials & Research - Traffic Engineering & Safety General Accounting r- Public Affairs - Utilities General Support ~ Services Systems Development - Planning I .. Road & Airport Design Planning 1- Data Services Urban Design Urban Area Planning 1- 1- Prequalification Group 1- Permits & Enforcement . Air Transportation .... State Aid .. Construction Claims I. Gainesville 2. Tennille District Offices 3. Thomaston 5. Jesup 7. Chamblee 4. Tifton 6. Cartersville Statewide Planning - 2 FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT DOT Commissioner Wayne Shackelford Dear Georgian, As another fiscal year ends, the opportunity to gauge the impact of another year's worth of activities and events presents itself to the Georgia DOT. Reflecting on Fiscal Year 1991 is significant, for it's in the words and pictures presented here that the year takes shape and becomes a record of what we achieved. Inasmuch as the successes of the past year are worth recording in their own right, detailing the Department's hard work on behalf of a more mobile, more accessible Georgia reaffirms the DOT's commitment to you. Proudly, this year was filled with many momentous accomplishments - accomplishments which stretch far beyond the borders of our own state. In many regards, the Georgia DOT's activities during the year had worldly implications. Certainly, the bold statement the Talmadge Memorial Bridge replacement project makes across the skyline of Savannah speaks to the economic hopes of an entire region. Those hopes are answered each time previously-restricted ships from across the world call on the port of Savannah, bringing with them new trade activity and more jobs for Georgians. Also during the year, transportation's effect on the environment continued to be of great concern to us. Our focus on a healthier, cleaner world reached new levels as our anti-littering efforts broadened and our use of recycled, more environmentally friendly materials increased. These important issues and others are captured here. We hope we've shown that the Department of Transportation played a small but vital part in preparing Georgia for the future, for in every small part thereisA World .... A Way. Sincerely, Wayne Shackelford Georgia DOT Commissioner FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT 3 Georgia's Gateway to International Trade PORT ACTIVITY Savannah's new bridge heightens the port city's potential to attract business interests and international trade. G eorgia's expanding role in international trade has been greatly enhanced following the 1991 debut of the state 's "gateway to the world" - a $70.9 million cable-stayed bridge over the Savannah River. This majestic structure has opened port facilities in Savannah to the world's largest ships. With a clearance of 185 feet, the new bridge stands 50 feet taller than the 37-year-old bridge it replaced, the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge. Sure to become a treasured landmark in the years to come, the new bridge already has been heralded as an engineering marvel. This is fitting praise with respect to the magnitude of the project. The main structure consists of two main tower piers, each containing more than 20,000 tons of concrete and standing 418 feet above mean sea level. The two main Savannah River 0gHChH River New River Hilton Head SOUTH CAROLINA ATLANnC OCEAN Not to Scale GEORGIA The Savannah Harbor and surrounding coastal area. tower piers and two anchor piers sustain the weight of the cablestayed superstructure of the bridge. The cable-stayed portion consists of three spans - an 1,100-foot centerspan flanked by two 470-foot side spans. The bridge deck is 79 feet wide and is held up by 144 ca- bles consisting of more than 318 miles of prestressed steel strand. Each cable was meticulously hand-wrapped with special tape to provide protection from the sun's ultraviolet rays and intense heat. Workers applied the tape from a trolley that rode along the cables. 4 FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT Savannah's new bridge bas a vertical clearance of 185 feet- 50 feet taller than the Eugene Tahnadge Memorial Bridge. In addition to the bridge's main structure are 2.75 miles of associated roadways and approaches. The approaches include nine bridges totaling 12,070 linear feet. Years of planning and careful construction factored into the vision of building a bridge that would attract international trade to the state. In July 1987 the Guy F. Atkinson and S.J. Groves & Sons companies were awarded the contract project for the cable-stayed portion of the bridge with a bid of $25.7 million. The Hardaway Company was awarded the contract project for the approaches and associated roadway with a bid of $45.2 million submitted in April 1988. Special studies conducted in the development of the project included earthquake analysis, wind tunnel evaluations and aesthetic lighting studies of the finished bridge concept. DRC Consultants, Inc. designed the bridge's mainspan. For months prior to the March 1991 bridge opening, crews worked diligently around the clock. With safety as a top priority, all the work on the bridge was completed without any fatalities. Granting the tallest ships on the sea easy ac- cess to port facilities, Savannah's ~w bridge symbolizes the bold fu- ture of Georgia's economy. The Department opened two lanes of the bridge to traffic on March 20. Hours before the opening, scores of excited motorists lined up and waited for their first chance to drive across the state-ofthe-art structure. All four lanes were anticipated to be opened to traffic soon thereafter. A formal bridge opening took place on March 25 in the form of a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Hundreds of people, including state and local dignitaries, gathered to participate in the historical event. Hundreds of people gathered again on the morning of April 9 to witness the dismantling of the Tahnadge Bridge's 690-ton, 355foot-long centerspan. TIC Southeast Inc. removed the structure in an intricate process lasting seven hours. The bridge had served the area well for decades, but eventually was considered to be a hindrance to the growth of port facilities. Many of the world's cargo ships built in recent years could not pass safely underneath the Talmadge Bridge. Granting the tallest ships on the sea easy access to port facilities , the new bridge symbolizes the bold future of Georgia's economy. FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT 5 Ten-Year Transportation Plan (1991 - 2001) THE FUTURE In order to plot Georgia's course for continued economic growth, the DOT developed the state's multimodal ten-year transportation plan. T hrough the intensive efforts of the DOT during the past 40 years, Georgia bas developed one of the most technologically advanced and efficient interstate and highway systems in the nation. With the end of the interstatebuilding era nearing, however, the state now must look to incorporating all transportation modes to meet the challenges of Georgia's rapid population growth and the world's competitive economic market. To successfully confront these challenges, this fiscal year the DOT's Office of Planning published a ten-year transportation plan entitled Transportation in Georgia strategies for the 1990s. Developed through in-depth research of trends in Georgia's population, economy and industry, the plan evaluates the current infrastructure and determines what the state's general transportation needs will be for the 1990s to facilitate economic growth in the future . Georgia mus its multi transpo tation system to confront e challenges of the world's inc easingly compeftive economic ma~ket. In the plan, the DOT concluded that the state's general transportation needs were: increase rehabilitation and maintenance of highways and interstates; expand transit ridership and preserve rail systems; upgrade community airports and develop a major new hub airport; increase waterway capacity to accommodate modem shipping vessels; and continue construction of the four-lane economic development corridors to the state's rural areas and metropolitan centers. In addition to determining the state's transportation needs, the DOT formulated seven goals to aid in developing Georgia 's future transportation strategies. The goals are: + Preserving and expanding the state's transportation infrastructure + Fostering international trade and development + Protecting the environment + Improving transportation safety + Coordinating transportation and development + Increasing mobility and accessi- bility + Assuring adequate transportation financing 6 FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT To devote equal attention to all transportation modes, the Office of Planning enlisted the aid of other DOT planning units, including Aeronautics and Public Transportation, to create a multi-modal blueprint for the state 's future. In the plan, public transportation will take on an increased significance in the 1990s for a variety of environmental and energy conservation reasons. For example, throughout the next decade the DOT will explore new and innovative forms of public transportation, like inter-city and commuter rail. The DOT also will seek to expand its successful urban and rural public transportation programs into other communities. Likewise, aviation will have an increased role in Georgia's transportation network in the 1990s. Prior to writing the ten-year plan, the Department conducted an evaluation of the state 's 103 publicly owned airports. Through this evaluation, the DOT determined a number of upgrades which should be completed during the upcoming decade. Additionally, the DOT will continue to support the development of a second hub airport in Georgia to complement Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport. In an effort to strengthen rail transportation in Georgia, the DOT has identified over 500 miles of freight-hauling rail lines which need public funding to avoid a rail service loss. During the decade, the DOT will work to purchase and rehabilitate freight-hauling rail lines and buy abandoned lines for future transportation needs. The Department also will continue to seek funding for several large-scale projects for Georgia's rapidly growing ports in Savannah and Brunswick. These projects include deepening the Savannah and This year the DOT formulated goals to develop Georgia's future transportation system, including increased port development on Georgia's coast. Brunswick harbors and replacing Brunswick's aging Sidney Lanier Bridge. With the completion of these projects, Georgia's ports will be able to accommodate larger ships, thereby increasing trade activity in the state's port cities. While developing other forms of transportation besides highways is imperative to the success of the ten-year plan, the DOT recognizes that it must continue to actively maintain and expand the state 's excellent highways for a well-rounded system. Therefore, the Department recommends that the state: connect the residents of rural areas to the interstates through the Economic Development Highway System; provide mobility to rapidly growing urban areas and relieve conges.tion; continue to improve local access to state highways; rehabilitate and add capacity to the Interstate and State Highway systems; maintain state and local roads; and achieve adequate funding for bridge repair and replacement. Published in March 1991, the transportation plan was distributed to a variety of organizations including Georgia's city and county governments, state legislators, chambers of commerce, congressional delegates and regional development centers. Created to lead Georgia into the 21st century, some new provisions may be included in the tenyear plan with the development and passage of the 1991 Surface Transportation Act. Just as in the past, economic growth as well as tran->portation mobility for Georgia will remain top priorities at the DOT throughout the coming decade and beyond. FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT 7 Environmental Concerns and Actions ENVIRONMENT Significant strides were made in Fiscal Year 1991 in the DOT's attempts to reduce transportation's impact on Georgia's environment. A s the environmental wellbeing of the nation and the world became increasingly important, the Georgia DOT strived in Fiscal Year 1991 to make a difference that was clean to see. Encouraged by a national anthem to "think globally and act locally," the Department set goals to reduce transportation's side effects on Georgia's fragile environment; as the year drew to a close, efforts to that end had produced significant results. Arguably the most dramatic and certainly the most visible effort on behalf of a cleaner Georgia occurred as a result of the DOT's expanded roadside enhancement programs. These programs, involving litter control, a comprehensive antilittering public awareness campaign and roadside beautification, caught the attention of even the most casual observers. In Fiscal Year 1991, the Department planted thousands of trees throughout the state. 8 FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT The state's fledgling Adopt-AHighway program grew at a phenomenal pace as thousands of Georgians literally took the state 's litter problem into their own hands. By year's end, 1,336 groups had "adopted" segments of state highway for litter control representing over 1,600 miles of roadway. Coupled with the DOT's popular "Let's Keep Georgia Peachy Clean" public awareness campaign, Adopt-A-Highway helped contribute to a 12 percent reduction in visible roadside litter. An offshoot of the state 's litter control plan was an increased emphasis on roadside beautification through the propagation of wildflowers, trees and shrubbery along the State Highway System. As an example of that commitment, over the next four years the DOT will plant nearly 350,000 trees. As the state's largest public works agency, the Department is aware that its activities, though cru- cial to the state's mobility and its economy, can impact the environ- ment. To lessen the degree of that impact , the Department's Construction Division worked steadfastly to improve several construction related procedures. Resolved to better control soil erosion on work sites, the DOT enhanced training, specifications and contract enforcement relative to soil displacement or loss. The results were evident almost immediately as seen in reduced siltation and improved water quality. Practically foreign a few years ago, recycling has become an everyday part of most consumers ' lives. Recycling in Fiscal Year 1991 took on greater meaning for the DOT as reclaimed asphalt pavement, or RAP, reduced costs while allowing the DOT to make good use of what was once considered a useless byproduct of highway construction. In For years the DOT has been stockpiling used asphalt from the state's roadways for recycling. Above, a bulldozer scoops asphalt from a stockpile area to be recycled. fact, the Georgia DOT has been a leader in the use of RAP, having completed its first major highway project using reclaimed asphalt pavement in 1982. In the next four years, the Georgia DOT will plant nearly 350,000 trees along Georgia's State Highway System. During the fiscal year, the Department wrote new specifications allowing contractors to use a maximum of 40 percent RAP in virtually all asphaltic concrete mixtures. Utilizing RAP provides for an effective use for a waste product and represents an estimated 20 percent savings in construction dollars for mixtures in which RAP is one of the components. Also relating to asphaltic con- crete, the DOT implemented the use of biodegradable extraction solvents in testing asphaltic concrete samples. The benefit of the more environmentally friendly solvents is a sizable reduction in the emission of ozone depleting fluorocarbons. With attention to groundwater sources on the rise , the DOT began operating in fiscal 1991 an employee-built air-stripping tower designed to reduce groundwater contaminants at sites where Department-owned underground storage tanks have leaked. As water circulates through the tower, contaminants are blasted away by powerful bursts of air. The tower can successfully clean 25,000 gallons of water a day. For the DOT, focusing on these actions and procedures affecting Georgia's environment made good sense. Simply yet importantly, that focus demonstrated that a critical balance between the transportation needs of the people and the environmental needs of the planet could be struck. FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT 9 Fiscal Year 1991 Highlights YEAR IN REVIEW Georgia's transportation system continued to grow and improve as increased efficiency and safety prevailed. 0 ver the course of a year, the DOT performs a host of important functions through- out the state. Some of the Depart- ment's activities have an obvious impact on Georgia - like the design and construction of Savannah's Talmadge Memorial Bridge Replacement. Other activities have a subtler, more localized effect on the state. When compiled, however, all During the year, the DOT formed the Office of Intermodal Programs: One of the office's functions is to oversee the state's rural public transportation system. of the Department's activities are equally important as they represent a year of work on the wellconceived network of highways, airports, transit systems, ports and railways that comprise the state's transportation system. One of the Department's activities this year was the establishment of the Office of lntermodal Programs - formed from the offices of Aeronautics and Public Transportation - to offer a more centralized and efficient approach to multimodal transportation. The primary responsibilities of the new office are to conduct the planning, programming and operations procedures of the Department's non-highway modes of transportation. Also this year, the Department opened two permanent truck weighing stations on Interstate 75 in Monroe County. The new stations were constructed by prison irunates 10 FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT through a joint program with the Department of Corrections. By using prison labor to build the stations, the DOT was able to save taxpayers considerable amounts of money in construction costs. The new stations replaced two portable trailers that had been in use since 1978. While supplying Georgians an efficient transportation system is a high priority in transportation planning, ensuring safety for motorists on the state's highways is paramount to the DOT. During the year, the Department's Office of Traffic & Safety reported that Georgia's 1990 statewide traffic fatality rate was 2.15 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. These numbers represent the lowest traffic fatality rate ever recorded in the state. Fiscal Year 1991 also was an active year for the DOT's seven district offices as the Department worked on scores of construction, widening and maintenance projects throughout the state. As in previous fiscal years, the state's Economic Development Highway System (EDHS) grew steadily, and in doing so helped Georgia's economy to grow by stimulating commerce and travel through the addition of fourlane highway capacity. Some of the numerous EDHS projects that were completed in the DOT's districts during the fiscal year included: the 9.48 mile Sandersville Bypass in Washington County; a 5.97 mile section of U.S. 27 in Carroll County; a 3.1 mile section of U.S. 1 in Richmond County; a 5.9 mile section of U.S. 84 in Grady County; and approximately 10 miles on U.S. 341 in Appling County. Other non-EDHS projects that were completed during the year included: the Dallas Bypass in Paulding County; the Rockmart Bypass in Polk County; Johnny Mercer The DOT widened this segment of Interstate 20 to reduce congestion in Atlanta. Boulevard in Chatham County; and the Manchester Expressway in Muscogee County. Georgia's 1990 sta ewide traffic fatality rate of 2.15 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was the lowest ever recorded in the state's history. A crucial link in Georgia's transportation networlc is the Interstate System which provides quality transportation to the state's citizens, businesses and travelers. In Fiscal Year 1991, several major interstate projects were completed on Interstates 75 and 20. In Oayton County from Interstate 675 to U.S. 19/41, Interstate 75 was widened from four lanes to eight lanes to assure easier driving through this much-traveled section of highway. Additionally, there were numerous construction or reconstruction projects taking place on Interstate 20 this year in the Atlanta area. These projects involved widening the interstate or surface street bridges over the interstate to increase driving capacity. Travel made easier and safer for Georgians is a major goal of the Georgia DOT. This fiscal year, the Department not only accomplished this goal, but was able to go to great lengths to link Georgia's citizens and businesses to the world. FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT II Expenditures- Year Ending June 30, 1991 Personal Services ........................................................ 224,435,364.06 Regular Operating Expenses ... .... ............... .. ......... ... ............ 61,956,562.99 Travel ................................................................... 1,357,681.88 Motor Vehicle Purchases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965, 198.56 Equipment ............................................................... 7,467,258.40 Computer Charges ......................................................... 4,310,300.43 Real Estate Rentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,290,480.58 Telecommunications ....................................................... 1,714,587.55 Per Diem, Fees and Contracts ........ .... .................................... 8,980,370.63 Capital Outlay .......................................................... 740,460,359.19 G.O. Bond Debt Sinking Fund .............. .. ............... .... ....... .. . .. 10,640,000.00 Grants To Counties ... . .. .. ... ... ......................... .. ... . .. . ........ 4,658,507.00 Grants to Municipalities .................................................... 4,658,500.00 Capital Outlay - Allport Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,000,000.00 Capital Outlay- Allport Approach Aid/Operational Improvements ................... 1,189,574.63 Mass Transit Grants ........ .......... ............. ... ....... . ..... .. .. . .... 6,939,521.51 Harbor Maintenance Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,082,992.41 Spoilage Area Acquisition, Clearing and Preparation ............................ . ... 25,000.00 Total Expenditures .................................................... 1,083,132,259.82 DOT STATE FUND APPROPRIATIONS AS A PERCENT OF TOTAL STATE FUND APPROPRIATIONS: 20% + - - - - - - - - - - - DISTRIBUTION OF EXPENDITURES CAPITAL OUTLAY VERSUS OPERATIONS: 10% 0%~~~~-L--L-~~~--~ Fiscal Year 1988 1989 1990 1991 only a portion of the 100% scale Is shown Source: Budget Unit percentages are calculated using $ 1,083,132.259.82 as amount of expenditures Source: Budget Unit 12 FISCAL YEAR 1991 ANNUAL REPORT HAL RIVES COMMISSIONER G. CHARLES LEWIS STATE HIGHWAY ENGINEER Jlepnrtment of Wrnn s portntion ~ tu te of @eorgi u ?\' o. 2