Building a new bridge across the Mississippi River in the Baton Rouge area is not a new idea. The need had been there for decades, but getting beyond general conception has proved difficult, for any number of reasons. But today, thanks to a more pragmatic approach to achieving this monumental undertaking, a new Mississippi River Bridge (MRB)-building effort is taking those first critical steps toward becoming reality.

“Some of the attempts over the past 20 years have had bigger ambitions and scope and they were never able to get off the ground, either financially or politically,” says Kara Moree, CFM. “What we’re doing is concentrating on the early phases—selecting a location and getting the environmental documentation—to provide a foundation and build momentum for the project. This approach has been very successful in moving it forward.” Moree is the national director for NEPA & environmental compliance with Atlas Technical Consultants and serves as the overall project manager. Atlas was selected by the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development (LADOTD) as the prime consultant to conduct an Enhanced Planning Investigation and Environmental Evaluation for a new river bridge, one of the most high-profile civil infrastructure projects in the state of Louisiana.

��Project staff members answer questions from the public about the new
Mississippi River Bridge at a community center meeting in April 2022.

As its first order of business, the Atlas-led team was asked to identify approximately 30 possible locations for the new bridge. The project limits were set along 60+ miles of river so, at first glance, it did not appear to be a tall order, but they didn’t get too far into the navigation study before discovering just how many constraints the project would be subjected to. “There were a lot of places we couldn’t put piers in the river. There are anchorages and things of that nature that we needed to stay away from. We were also limited to a 2,000 ft maximum main span length. We consulted with the U.S. Coast Guard and spoke with river pilots and identified other restrictions and impediments. It was difficult coming up with 30 locations, but eventually, we did identify 32,” Moree says.

From there, the team took a tiered approach to narrowing that list down to a more manageable number. Two rounds of screening were conducted in consideration of the project’s purpose and need, which was informed and supported by traffic data and other analyses. “We also had to consider the environmental impacts. We had to determine if we would be able to get permits, whether it was for wetlands or levees or the Coast Guard. There’s also a lot of really big industry up and down the river, and of course, Baton Rouge has one of the busiest ports in the world,” she says. By taking a data-driven approach, the team, which included 13 sub-consultants, was able to back up their decisions with cold facts. This proved particularly beneficial when 10 preliminary alternatives were selected and presented to the public.

As in many areas of Louisiana, Baton Rouge is still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Almost overnight, the area took in an additional 200,000 displaced individuals. One of the impacts of that growth was that the metropolitan area hit its projected 2030 traffic volumes 25 years ahead of schedule. A project of this size and potential impact is bound to raise the interests, and passions, of residents and community leaders. Extensive public information and stakeholder engagement efforts were particularly critical in keeping the project moving forward. The team also made quarterly presentations to a state legislative committee so that government and political influencers would be kept abreast of progress.

Although Atlas is a national firm with 100 locations across the country, the MRB project has benefited from a decided home-field advantage. Both Moree and Maria Bernard Reid, NEPA specialist and deputy project manager were born and raised in south Louisiana. Although Atlas is a multi-disciplined firm with the resources to complete a project of this magnitude from start to finish, it benefited from the specialized expertise of its two project leads. “We are not engineers—we’re environmental people. Everything we see, we see through the eyes of biologists and NEPA practitioners. The Federal Highway Administration, who will be reviewing our environmental document, really appreciates having that perspective informing our findings,” says Reid.

That advantage has resulted in what will be the first approved Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) document on a LADOTD project. The integrated and collaborative PEL approach asks project teams to consider environmental factors during the planning process, using data and analysis gathered during planning to enhance the environmental investigations and analysis. FHWA encourages its use as a means to save time and cost by minimizing duplicate efforts. “Going straight from planning into NEPA, we fully expect that all of our work will be brought forward. Having two environmental professionals leading that has been a very big plus in producing high-quality and approvable documents,” Reid says.

Atlas is scheduled to complete its work on the MRB project in late 2024. A new governor and administration will be installed in January, and the team is focused on keeping the project moving forward and maintaining the state’s commitment. If all goes according to plan, it will soon be moving toward design and construction.

Published by Engineering News-Record (ENR)
On July 31, 2023

����ӰԺ DULUTH, GA — When Felecia Basolo opens her dashboard, an onslaught of information overwhelms the screen.

“There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of people involved with federal aid,” she said. “I just try to keep all the chaos moving forward.”

As Deputy Program Manager of the initiative, Felecia facilitates core activities of federally funded transportation projects.

Responsible for reporting bottlenecks to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) Program Delivery Office, Felecia typically liaises with local agencies and municipalities on project deliverables to offset delays.

If Felecia’s team of project managers encounters potential setbacks, she intervenes to keep processes moving.

Yet the duration of federal aid projects largely depends on their complexity and can last five to 10 years.

“The majority of our work so far has involved bringing cities up to more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly standards,” she said. “Making downtown districts safer, road-widening projects, intersection improvements, that sort of thing.”

To keep pace, Felecia helps partner agencies walk through stringent federal requirements, as noncompliance by local parties remains a well-documented risk area.

“We provide support for various external entities in need. We often jump into unforeseen situations to support community staff, and other team members, because we understand that unique situations occur,” she said. “It’s based on community needs.”

But agency officials aren’t the only people Felecia advises.

Under , Felecia upskills GDOT personnel, too.

“After GDOT employees [and other clients] are onboarded, the learning begins. Our team is blessed with lots of experience, and that’s where our strength lies,” Felecia said. “We’re able to talk [new employees] through complex scenarios and show them how things work.”

Between former Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Engineer, Wright Aldridge, former GDOT Engineer, Mark Lawing, and others, the team holds more than 150 cumulative years of experience.

“There’s a built-in wealth there,” she said. “I can walk around the corner and talk to the person who implemented policies numerous times so that I can effectively communicate [policy] nuances to others.”

Still, each project poses its own set of distinct challenges. The majority of issues Felecia encounters are communication-based rather than technical.

“We learn from these types of hiccups, we can manage them easier whenever they come up again,” she said.

One particular lesson learned would’ve cost a project valuable time to rectify.

Felecia noticed that the Atlanta Police Department (APD) hadn’t been notified of a in downtown Atlanta. The project would conflict with adjacent security and traffic cameras.

“When we move the poles or do any work with the signalization, we have to account for how it may affect things like attached cameras and video cables,” she said. “They all exist on the same electric grid.”

Shortly after detecting the discrepancy, Felecia was able to connect the designer to APD and transfer information that led to a plan to mitigate the conflicts.

Felecia characterizes these lessons as invaluable.

“When things fall through and we learn what not to do, it’s actually more beneficial,” she said. “If we’re able to apply these lessons to upcoming projects, that’s a win.”

LAPs make up 20 percent of Georgia’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. FHWA data suggest that LAPs across 45 states will involve in federal aid within a couple of years.

Getting through intricate processes like environmental reviews and public comment periods tends to prolong new construction projects.

But with Felecia’s help, resource-limited agencies can access guidance to keep federally funded infrastructure plans moving.

“It goes beyond the pavement. The services we provide help bring amazing projects to fruition,” she said. “I’m just thankful I get to be a part of it.”

Felecia Basolo holds licenses in Project Management (PMP) and Professional Engineering (PE). She grew up in an Illinois town of 600 people, where she excelled in math, science, and physics at an early age. She was formerly with the Illinois Department of Transportation and began her career at Atlas in 2006. She graduated from Southern Illinois University with a bachelor’s in Civil Engineering and went on to Brenau University to obtain a master’s in Business Administration.

Atlas, O’Neill Service Group and partners are driving Salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest.

State and local habitat enhancement dollars are funding the rebuilding of critical infrastructure to better serve fish and human populations. Salmon are a critical part of the region’s ecology and culture; Atlas is positioned to be a part of its recovery.

Washington State Department of Transportation’s program to replace more than 400 non-conforming culverts beneath state highways is one of these programs. Atlas is developing National Environmental Policy Act documents, Section 404 and 401 permit applications, performing quality assurance and environmental/material testing for these projects to restore hundreds of miles of historic breeding and rearing habitat statewide. Fish have already returned to stream habitat above the repaired culvert replacements. Atlas is under contract for 35 culvert replacement projects in Washington.

As construction manager for King County, Atlas is also removing old levees and reestablishing critical floodplain habitat along the region’s major rivers. The levee setback program is a major win for both salmon and the local communities, improving flood protection function and reconnecting habitat. Historic runs of chum salmon are returning to newly created channels like the one at Lones Levee Setback and Floodplain Restoration Project.

Atlas looks forward to many years of important restoration in the Pacific Northwest.

Published by Engineering News-Record (ENR) – Environmental Management
On August 1, 2022

The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering’s $588 million Sixth Street Viaduct replacement project in Los Angeles will join the L.A. Arts District to Boyle Heights. The new bridge, to open later in 2022, replaces a 1932 structure that was retired due to seismic vulnerability and a rare chemical reaction in the cement supports. It is funded by the Federal Highway Transportation Administration and the California Dept. of Transportation, as well as city funds.

The new bridge, dubbed The Ribbon of Light, will include a 2,864‐ft‐long tied‐arch continuous concrete viaduct structure and a 193‐ft-long post‐tensioned, cast‐in‐place, reinforced concrete box girder structure at the west approach. Design was completed by HNTB and Los Angeles architect Michael Maltzan. Construction is led by contractors Skanska Stacy and Witbeck.

Atlas, through its acquired company Alta Vista Solutions, is providing quality management services, engineering assessment and evaluation for quality assurance and verification, materials engineering and investigations, structural steel inspection, testing and analysis, and source inspections.

“The project challenges have been significant,” says Bahjat Dagher, Project Manager with Atlas. Downtown traffic, dealing with Los Angeles River challenges, working over and under active rail lines operated by five agencies, and managing identified and unidentified utility conflicts top the list. Alta Vista Solutions, an Atlas company, has provided continuous support to the City of Los Angeles since 2017 dealing with typical and atypical construction, fabrication, and erection adversity. “We are grateful for the opportunity to provide our services that contribute to this first-class, high-quality structure that we can be proud of for generations to come” says Mr. Dagher.

“We have traveled to remote areas in California, as well as to states like Arizona, Utah, Ohio, Oregon, Missouri, and even Canada to perform source inspection and ensure the high standards of quality are met during fabrication. Our team of specialists help ensure that fabrication processes, welding, coating, material documentation, nondestructive testing and personnel certifications comply with contract requirements. Additionally, the team performs oversight assessment and verification of in-process quality control (QC) testing,” says Mr. Dagher. In addition, Atlas, through Alta Vista Solutions, provided batch plant inspections, field inspections and materials testing for the structural concrete which included the helical ramp and the ten pairs of unique arches. These remarkable features are what will make the Sixth Street Viaduct an iconic piece of the LA skyline.

Published by Engineering News-Record (ENR)
On July 18, 2022

Bridges are an essential part of our nation’s infrastructure. The safe passage of fellow citizens and the efficient delivery of goods and services depends on reliable bridges.�� As a trained engineer, my fascination with bridges began very early. I am also painfully aware of the important role bridges play in our daily lives and how much we take them for granted.

Here are some statistics* about US bridges that I found staggering:

• There are more than 617,000 bridges across the US
• 42% of all bridges are at least 50 years old, with the average age being 44 years
• 46,154 are in “poor” condition

Given these alarming facts, I often ask, are we paying enough attention to America’s bridges?

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 178 million daily trips are taken across bridges that are classified in “poor” condition. The cumulative result of this neglect is $125 billion of backlog in bridges requiring repair.

As the nation’s bridges continue to age, each of us is aware of the imminent need to build new and maintain existing bridges. New technologies, more modern materials, innovative evaluation techniques, and pioneering construction methods have provided advances in recent years to meet this challenge.

The new administration’s American Rescue Plan to rebuild our country’s infrastructure includes $631 billion that will fix the most economically significant large bridges in the country. This investment will also repair 10,000 smaller bridges, including those that provide critical connections to rural and tribal communities.

Atlas plays an important role in improving our nation’s bridges and infrastructure. In Georgia, Atlas is replacing a 66-year-old fracture critical steel truss bridge on the State Route 53 at Lake Lanier design build project. Our team developed an innovative design for the replacement bridge that saved $3 million dollars in construction cost. Additionally, we are inspecting and designing structural repairs on significant bridges such as the New York’s Verrazano-Narrows, California’s Golden Gate and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridges, helping to extend the lives of these iconic American structures.

Not only are we focused on building and repairing bridges, but Atlas is working to make them more “shovel worthy” – providing much-needed access and mobility for ambulances, fire trucks or school buses. We have teamed with partners to replace posted and deficient bridges across the country with the goal of ensuring safe passage and enabling the economy to thrive. In Texas, Atlas is working on the replacement of the US 181 Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi. The new bridge will accommodate larger ships, be the longest cable-stay bridge in the U.S. and Canada, and the tallest structure in South Texas, when completed. Most recently, we developed plans to replace a bridge posted for weight limitations in Newton County, Georgia over the Yellow River with construction planned for September 2021.

Infrastructure Week is an ideal time to refocus our attention on America’s aging infrastructure and vigorously address this daunting challenge.

I, the Atlas team, our partners, and our entire industry believe NOW is the time to cross this bridge because we’ve come to it!

*ASCE Data

Author:

L. Joe Boyer |��CEO of Atlas Technical Consultants