DAILY Breaking News - State Biz Breaking News
Last Updated on Monday, 03 October 2011 18:12 Written by Lou Phelps Sunday, 02 October 2011 18:07
SBJ Staff Report
Oct 3, 2011 - The Georgia Department of Transportation has approved more than $97 million in 10 new transportation infrastructure improvement and maintenance projects across the state today, including $52 million to be spent on Interstate Highway 75 improvements in Dooly County and $30 million to widen Interstate Highway 520 (the Bobby Jones Expressway) in Augusta.
This work is in addition to the projects already awarded and announced back in May. Since May, Georgia DOT has begun 125 new projects over summer, valued at more than $500 million. Much of the funding has come from Federal stimulus and highway funds.
A project in Liberty County was approved, using Federal funds. The project includes 5.552 miles of milling, inlay and plant mix resurfacing on U.S. 84/SR 38. The resurfacing will start south of SR 119 and extend east to Ryon Avenue. The low bidder was Baker Infrastructure Group, with offices in Garden City and Atlanta. The Garden City office submitted the successful bid for $ 2, 167,968.24.
The largest of the nine other most-recently authorized projects include:
- A $52-million contract to replace 11.5 miles of the concrete surface of I-75 in Dooly from the Crisp County line to Pinehurst/Hawkinsville Road; to joint venture of E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc., of Snellville, and McCarthy Improvement Co., of Davenport, IA;
- Adding one lane in each direction on Bobby Jones for the approximate five miles between U.S. Highway 1 and Gordon Highway, including constructing a new I-520 bridge over Deans Bridge Road; to Pittman Construction Co., of Conyers, for $29.9 million;
- And, the erection of center median cable barrier on 34 miles of Interstate Highway 20 in Douglas, Carroll and Haralson counties from State Route 5 to the Alabama state line; for $2.2 million, to the Crowley Company, Inc., of Minneapolis, MN.
The department has gone through several key management changes lately. On Sept. 3, Vance Smith, Commissioner of the Department of Transportation resigned. Prior to his resignation, Smith appointed Department Operations Director Keith Golden to the position of Deputy Commissioner. In accordance with state law, the Deputy serves as interim commissioner in these circumstances.
Deputy Commissioner Golden began his new duties immediately. He is a 25-year Georgia DOT veteran, and a licensed professional engineer with both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in civil engineering from The Georgia Institute of Technology.
DAILY Breaking News - State Biz Breaking News
Written by Lou Phelps Thursday, 22 September 2011 22:14
SDN Staff Report
Sept 22, 2011 - Democratic Party of Georgia Chairman Mike Berlon called on Georgia Senate Pro Tempore Tommie Williams and Attorney General Sam Olens to release the details of what he terms a ‘secret’ $80,000 payment used to settle a racial discrimination complaint.
The payment and subsequent cover-up by Williams runs contrary to his goal to “bring more sunlight and transparency to how the public’s tax dollars are being spent,” according to Berlon. Instead, Williams has dodged reporters and hidden in his office.
“We ask Senator Williams to tell Georgia what the allegations are, which senators were involved, and why $80,000 in taxpayer funds are being paid in secret,” said Berlon. “We will formally ask Attorney General Olens about his involvement in this situation and for a legal opinion on whether any laws were broken.”
“Government should be open to all; no back-room deals, no more secrecy. The senators involved in this should be censured and disciplined by the Senate. In addition, the people of Georgia have the right to know the facts regarding the expenditures of funds,” concluded Berlon.
