Georgia 12 2013

By Cindy RileyCEG CORRESPONDENT

After years of planning, the Atlanta streetcar project isfinally becoming a reality. Construction is under way on the2.7 mi. (4.3 km) system that, when complete, will cost closeto $100 million. “Actually seeing tracks being laid and sidewalks being

rebuilt is thrilling and a major step for the city of Atlanta,”said Tom Weyandt, senior policy advisor of transportation,office of the mayor. “The major federal funding wasannounced in October 2010, and since then we have beenengaged in the final design, contractor selection, real estateand utilities prep work. Now that guideway construction isunderway, one can actually get the vision for the final prod-uct.” The Atlanta streetcar will be a Siemens S70 vehicle pow-

ered by a single overhead trolley wire. In mid-May, 2013Siemens Inc. delivered two massive traction power substa-tions (TPSS) which will power part of the streetcar. TheTPSS is a 750-volt DC power substation that was commis-sioned, designed and tested by Siemens. Once installed, thesubstation will send electric current to the catenary system ofoverhead wires used to supply electricity to the streetcar. Thesubstation allows the overhead wires to pick up electricalcurrent to power the engines. Each power substation is 40 ft.(12.2 m) long, 14.5 ft. (4.4 m)wide, 11 ft. (3.4 m) tall and weighs80,000 lbs. (36,287.4 kg).While enthusiasm is high for

the project, it’s already had itsshare of challenges, according toWeyandt.

“It’s been more complicatedthan we anticipated. The streetcaris being built in some of the oldestparts of downtown Atlanta con-necting the historic Martin LutherKing Jr. district and historicAuburn Avenue through theCentral Business District toCentennial Olympic Park andback through Fairlie-Poplar. Morethan 15 different private utilitiesplus the public water and sewersystem have facilities that wereimpacted to some degree — somerather minor, but others enor-mously complicated. Some wedidn’t discover until we opened

the street. In addition, we discovered some basementsextending under sidewalks which were previously unknown.“Since the utilities were often working in many places at

once, this was particularly complicated. Now that guidewayconstruction is underway, I think the traffic control issue iseasier. It’s still disruptive, but manageable, since the con-tractor is in and out of relatively small sections of the align-ment fairly quickly. The patience of the folks along the routehas clearly been tested, but they have been cooperative andeager to see the project happen,” said Weyandt.As opposed to light rail transit systems that usually run on

tracks separated from the roads, streetcars run on rails setinto the road surface. Streetcars share the road with private

Construction Under Way on Atlanta Streetcar Line

GEORGIA STATE EDITION A Supplement to:

Your Georgia Connection: Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479

“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”Bainbridge

Macon

Albany

Athens

Atlanta

Augusta

Columbus

Rome

Savannah

ValdostaThomasville

Moul- trie

Tifton

Blakely

Cuthbert

CordeleMcRae

Douglas

La Grange

Ameri- cus

Milledgeville

DublinOak Park

Lyons

Dorchester

Waycross Bruns- wickPearson

Statesboro

Swainsboro

Griffin

Madison

Cornella75

75

75

16

16

20

20

85

59

185

95

85

27

19

441

441

441

441

19

19

27

82

27

82

82

341

341

1301

301

84

8484319

82

1129

1

(URS team photo)Crews place concrete for the Atlanta streetcar line.

(URS team photo)A construction worker places aggregate base for the new streetcar line. see STREETCAR page 6

June 122013

Vol. XV • No. 12

• June 12, 2013 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Georgia State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

*See dealer for details. Some exclusions may apply.Bobcat® and the Bobcat logo are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company in the United States and various other countries.©2013 Bobcat Company. All Rights Reserved. 13-B078

Bobcat of Atlanta

· 3-year/3,000-hour powertrain warranty

· Free loaner

· Free 50-hour service

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE GREAT OFFERS FROM BOBCAT OF ATLANTA*

DOWNTIME

IS NOTAN OPTION

1

2

3

REASONS BUSINESSTODO3

WITH

AKE ADTTAKE ADV

AGE OF THE ANTTAGE OF THESE GREA DV VANT

T SE GREA AT

· Free loaner

AKE ADTTAKE ADVOFFERS FROM BOBCA

1

3

2

· Free loaner

AGE OF THE ANTTAGE OF THESE GREA DV VANTT OF S FROM BOBCA AT OF A

T SE GREA AT A*TLANTTA* F A ATLANT

Bobcat of Atlanta

770-242-6500

Detacbo BdzeirohtAu

3

Bobcat of Atlanta real De

Some exc*See dealer for details.tBobca ® istered trademarks of Bobcat logo are reg and the Bobca

All Rights Reser.yt Compan©2013 Bobca

770-850-1443atlanta.com.bobcatofwww

.pplylusions may a Some exctes and various other countries.y in the United Stat Companistered trademarks of Bobca

13-B078ved.All Rights Reser

atlanta.com

tes and various other countries.

Construction Equipment Guide • Georgia State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 12, 2013 •

COMPACT MACHINESBIG RESULTS

JCB OF GEORGIA

RANGJCBETH

environment, perfect for tight spaces.The JCB range of zero tail-swing mini excavators provide a spacious, comfortable operatorskid steer and tracked loader with side entry is the safest most productive machine on the work site. Whatever your application requires, JCB has the model to get the job done. The revolutionary JCB

MEQUIPECTAACTPPAMOC OF E RANG

environment, perfect for tight spaces.The JCB range of zero tail-swing mini excavators provide a spacious, comfortable operatorskid steer and tracked loader with side entry is the safest most productive machine on the work site. Whatever your application requires, JCB has the model to get the job done. The revolutionary JCB

TNME

The JCB range of zero tail-swing mini excavators provide a spacious, comfortable operatorskid steer and tracked loader with side entry is the safest most productive machine on the work site. Whatever your application requires, JCB has the model to get the job done. The revolutionary JCB

’s The JCB range of zero tail-swing mini excavators provide a spacious, comfortable operatorskid steer and tracked loader with side entry is the safest most productive machine on the work site. Whatever your application requires, JCB has the model to get the job done. The revolutionary JCB

.jcwwww.jcbofgeorgia.com

.jcbofgeorgia.com

1008 East Hwy 80 | P(888) 809-3612

Call today to demo the world’s safest skid steer or any of our other JCB compact equipment models!

JCB OF GEORGIA

, GA 31322oolerr, GA 313221008 East Hwy 80 | P(888) 809-3612


JCB OF GEORGIA


3341


• June 12, 2013 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Georgia State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide Construction Equipment Guide • Georgia State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 12, 2013 • Page 5

• June 12, 2013 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Georgia State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide Construction Equipment Guide • Georgia State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 12, 2013 •


vehicles, but streetcars are an alternative totraveling by bus or car. They’re designed fora top speed of 35 mph, and run parallel withtraffic. The streetcar serves short local routeswith frequent stops. The 70 percent low-floor area will allow Atlanta’s passengers toboard and exit quickly, without obstructions.Coordination of the utility construction

schedule has been handled through Atlanta’sPublic Work Department. The departmentworked with complicated traffic controlbecause of the network of city streets and theinterstate highway that cuts across the east-ern loop of the alignment. Utility relocationsare nearing completion and nearly all rights-of-way have been obtained. About 3,300 ft.(1,005.8 m) of guideway is currently inplace, of roughly 15,000 ft. (4,572 m) total.Curbs are being re-set to dramaticallyimprove the sidewalk environment along theEast Loop route. In addition to the streetcar construction

the vehicle maintenance facility (VMF) isunder construction beneath I-75/85. FourSiemens S70 ultrashort light rail vehicles arecompleted, and the city expects to have anoperator for the streetcar on-board by fall. The Atlanta streetcar will provide missing

circulation and direct connectivity to theexisting transit services downtown, as wellas future commuter rail and regional lightrail. Material needed to complete the project

includes 15,147 linear ft. (4,617 m) of track,8,000 cu. yds. (6,116.4 cu m) of guidewayconcrete and 4,500 cu. yds. ( 3,440.5 cu m)of graded aggregate base, overhead contactsystem poles 252 each, power cable and con-duit for traction power 9,045 route ft. (2,757m) and 15,147 linear ft. of overhead contactwire. Civil subcontractor C.W. Matthews

Contracting Co. Inc. is using Caterpillarequipment that includes an M318 D excava-tor; a 279D tracked skidsteer with a six-wayblade for grading the trench; a 420E withdemo tool; a 420E with bucket; a CS56Bsmooth drum compactor; a 305 mini-exca-vator with demo tool and bucket; and a 226Bskidsteer for general purpose. Atlanta Paving Company, responsible for

asphalt milling and paving, is using anasphalt milling machine and asphalt paverfor various tasks. Brooks-Berry-Haynie &Associates, the electrical contractor on thejob, is handling OCS pole foundations, traf-fic signals and traction power conduit.Crews are using a hydrovac truck (aKenworth body with a custom builthydrovac unit built and operated by BadgerDaylighting Inc.), a Yanmar mini-excavatorand an Altec line truck.In addition, rail subcontractor G.W.

Peoples Contracting Co. Inc. is relying on aPrentice 2124 loader truck for picking, load-

ing and unloading rail materials. Otherequipment used by the company includes aPettibone 441 for moving or placing rail, anOrgothermic thermite weld kit along with aGeismar web grinder and Geismar profilegrinder. The grinder is used to profile ther-mite welds. GWP is furnishing materials,equipment and labor to install nearly 3 mi.(4.8 kn) of embedded and specialty track.This includes ballasting, clips, fasteners,steel ties, turnouts, storagetracks, switches and specialtyhardware in accordance withstandards specified in thedesign. The streetcar project is a col-

laborative public-private part-nership between the city ofAtlanta, the Atlanta DowntownImprovement District (ADID),and the Metropolitan AtlantaRapid Transit Authority(MARTA). It was created toprovide an integrated multi-modal, high-quality transit net-work linking communities,improving mobility, supportingprojected growth, promotingeconomic development andencouraging strategies to develop livablecommunities. Total project costs are estimated to be

$98.9 million. This includes all constructionfor the streetcar and VMF, as well as reloca-tion of the water and sewer system facilities,two additional locally funded vehicles forfuture system expansion, plus additionalgrants for pedestrian and road improvementswhich went beyond the needs of the basicstreetcar system. URS Corporation, headquarted in San

Francisco, was awarded the design-buildcontract. URS, which provides engineering,construction and technical services for pub-lic agencies and private sector companiesaround the world, has been involved instreetcar projects nationwide. This includesprojects in Spokane, Seattle, Charlotte andTampa. The firm has joined with UrbanEnvironmental Solutions and a number ofminority or disadvantaged business enter-prises based in the Atlanta area for its latestventure. “The Atlanta streetcar project represents

both a new mode of transportation forAtlanta and a renewal of what was an his-toric transportation system in the city,” saidEd Hrinewski, URS Atlanta streetcar projectdirector. Adding a significant new elementlike the streetcar to the existing and historicurban fabric requires due care and consider-ation.”Hrinewski said heading into the hot sum-

mer months won’t be a major issue for con-struction teams, as rigorous planning takesinto account the expected climatic condi-

tions. That doesn’t mean that problems can’tsurface in other areas.“Any major construction project has its

own challenges. Designing and building alinear transportation system like the streetcarresults in traversing the city streets with acertain impact to the existing infrastructureand also the need to minimize impacts to res-idents and businesses while at the same timemaximizing safety.

“It’s never an easy process to interrupt,even on a temporary basis, normal commut-ing, pedestrian and traffic patterns. However,by working closely with and under the city’sguidance, we have tried to maintain the nec-essary flow of traffic and foot travel. Most ofthe community appears to accept the intru-sion of the construction process as a tempo-rary situation leading to an exciting newmode of transit.”By 2030, it’s projected that downtown

Atlanta will experience 5.1 million sq. ft. ofretail absorption and an increase of approxi-mately 4.4 million sq. ft. of new office space,because of the Atlanta Streetcar. The modernstreetcar, an electrically powered vehicleoperating on rails in a street lane with othervehicles, has proven to be a more sustainableand viable alternative to buses, with lessnoise and fewer emissions. The AtlantaStreetcar will provide improved connectivi-ty between existing MARTA heavy rail,express bus services, planned light rail andlocations not well served by other transitoptions. In February 2012, Atlanta Mayor Kasim

Reed hosted U.S. Transportation SecretaryRay LaHood to kick off construction of thenew streetcar line. Secretary LaHood hadtraveled to Atlanta in 2010 to announce morethan $47 million in funding for the streetcarproject through the transportation depart-ment’s second round of TransportationInvestment Generating Economic Recovery(TIGER) grants. It was the largest of the cap-ital TIGER II grants awarded that year.According to Weyandt, carrying out con-

struction in downtown Atlanta is a daily con-cern. Crews must be aware of their busy sur-roundings at all times.“There are residential communities near-

by, several historic African-Americanchurches, funeral homes, restaurants andbars plus a historic municipal market, amajor public hospital and Georgia StateUniversity. There’s also the AtlantaMerchandise Mart complex, one of the

largest in the U.S., plus a maintourist and conventioneers walkingroute from the hotel district to theGeorgia World Congress Centerand Centennial Olympic Parkattractions. Public outreach hasbeen vital to the process and thecity and the contractor both hadteams to keep communicationsgoing. Our private sector partnerhas been with us every step of theway and assisted especially in out-reach to the business community.”The streetcar links to the

MARTA heavy rail system at thePeachtree Center Station and pro-vides the last mi. of connectivity tomajor business, tourist, health andeducational facilities in the down-

town community. It also provides a new linkfor residents of the area to the regional railsystem and job opportunities throughout thecity and region. The project is the initial seg-ment of a citywide system that eventuallywill connect to the Atlanta BeltLine and itssystem of transit, trails, parks and housingusing a series of old rail corridors surround-ing downtown. The BeltLine and Streetcarsystems have been part of city or regionalplans for over ten years.Once operational, there will be twelve

stops with an average 15-minute frequency.Operational costs will reportedly be coveredby fare box revenue, advertising, ADID,Atlanta car rental and hotel and motel tax inaddition to federal funds.“While station area development has been

significant in some places, the problem hasalways been the last mile access. The street-car is a cost-effective way to add transit in adense urban area compared to heavy railtransit,” said Weyandt. “In addition, thefixed guideway nature of the facility is like-ly to have a positive impact on furtherencouraging and shaping development intargeted neighborhoods.”These will be the first streetcars in Atlanta

since 1949. Streetcars operated in the citystarting with horsecars in 1871, with electricservice beginning in the 1880s. Officialshope to have the current rail transit system inplace and fully running by early 2014

(This story also can be found onConstruction Equipment Guide’s Web site atwww.constructionequipmentguide.com.)CEG

Streetcars Represent Renewal for Historic Transportation

(URS team photo)The Atlanta streetcar will provide missing circulation anddirect connectivity to the existing transit services downtown,as well as future commuter rail and regional light rail.

STREETCAR from page 1

Construction Equipment Guide • Georgia State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 12, 2013 •

www.reynoldswarren.comE-Mail: [email protected]

1-800-875-5659 or 404-361-15931945 Forest ParkwayLake City, GA 30260

Georgia’s One Stop Shop For Everything Asphalt

YES...We Rent What We Sell!

SweepPro

SweepPro Features:• 7’-6” Quick-Change Brush

• Two-Door ROPS Climate Controlled Cab

• Engine choice: 74 HP Tier 4i Turbo Diesel Kubota or Cummins Engine

• Rear Steering With 6-Foot Inside Turning Radius

• Brush Down-Pressure Control

• 150-Gallon Brush Watering System

• Joystick Controls

Contact your Rosco Dealer

VT LeeBoy, Inc. • 500 Lincoln County Parkway Ext. • Lincolnton, NC 28092 • Call (704)966-3300 • www.leeboy.com

� Asphalt Pavers (Sizes range from 10,000 - 33,000 lbs)

� Asphalt Rollers

� Motor Graders

� Pot Hole Patchers

� Brooms

� Asphalt Distributors

� Concrete Curber

� Conveyor Belt Loaders

Every Solution for Your Paving Needs

VT LeeBoy, Inc. • 500 Lincoln County Parkway Ext. • Lincolnton, NC 28092 • Call (704)966-3300 • www.leeboy.com

Tru-Pac 915 CSH Chip Spreader RA-400 Spray Patcher


www.wirtgenamerica.com

THE STRENGTH OF FOUR CORE BRANDS

ROAD AND MINERAL TECHNOLOGIES

ALABAMAAlabasterAnniston

BirminghamDecaturDothan

MobileMontgomery

The Shoals AreaTuscaloosa

FLORIDAPanama City Pensacola

SINCE 1943www.tractor-equipment.com

GEORGIAAlbany

AugustaCalhoun

ColumbusForest Park

HoschtonKennesaw

MaconSavannah

In all areas of the road construction business, the WIRTGEN GROUP stands out through innovative solutions, recognized processes and a full range of modern products meeting the highest demands. It is these characteristics which have made the WIRTGEN GROUP the market leader for mobile road construction equipment.

Georgia 12 2013

Documents

Transcript of Georgia 12 2013