The Friday before last Labor Day I got the news that the Atlanta BeltLines Westside Trail received the second largest grant from USDOT in its TIGER program (thanks in large part to a slam-dunk grant application spearheaded by Heather Hussey-Coker). Two months later, after getting through the political red-tape, we started design with one major string attached: we had to be completed with design and land acquisition by June 30th or we would run the risk of losing our grant. Typically these types of projects take 18-24 months to get through the system and we were given 8 months. Im pleased to report that yesterday we received authorization from the Federal Highway Administration to allow us to move into construction bidding. This would not have been possible without an incredible team led by Catherine Owens who managed to complete the design (which is awesome), but also oversee the acquisition of the necessary right-of-way (including 40+ easements) and jump through all of the hoops associated with Federal funding. Up next: contractor bidding this summer with an anticipated start of construction in the Fall. As it turns out, the Westside Trail will likely be constructed during the same time frame as the Eastside Trail Extension...a total of 4.5 miles of new trails. Days like this remind me of how much I love my job and the awesome team I get to work with.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 12:09:09 +0000
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