Federal Dollars Flow to Study Georgia Rail Projects

The federal government has awarded $1.5 million to study the possibility of running passenger trains on a trio of corridors in Georgia.

The Federal Railroad Administration awarded $500,000 to the Georgia Department of Transportation to study a possible Atlanta-to-Savannah line. It also provided $500,000 to the North Carolina Department of Transportation to evaluate a Charlotte-to-Atlanta line and $500,000 to the city of Chattanooga to study an Atlanta-to-Chattanooga-to-Nashville-to-Memphis route.

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Georgia Department of Transportation to Halt All Lane Closure Activity for July 4 Holiday Weekend

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) announced Tuesday that Independence Day travelers would not be delayed by construction on Georgia roads during this year’s holiday.

GDOT announced that the department will suspend all construction-related lane closures on interstates and state routes from Friday, June 30 from 12 p.m. until 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 5.

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Staffing Shortages Force GDOT to Curtail Atlanta-Area Interstate Patrols

The Georgia Department of Transportation said it doesn’t have enough personnel to maintain 24-hour Highway Emergency Response Operator patrols, a mainstay of metro Atlanta’s busy interstates.

By July 1, the HERO team will “temporarily pause” its active overnight patrols on metro Atlanta interstates, though personnel will remain available for some calls, such as “high-level incidents.” The HERO units currently maintain a 382-mile coverage area.

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Georgia Transportation Officials Award $65.2 Million for Projects

The Georgia Department of Transportation said it awarded 18 projects valued at more than $65.2 million in March.

The largest spend, $15 million awarded to E. R. Snell Contractor, goes toward a bridge construction project on State Route 212 over Lake Jackson in Jasper and Newton counties. Bridge construction contracts represented 31% of the allocated money.

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Georgia Department of Transportation Awards $162 Million in February

The Georgia Department of Transportation said it awarded 22 projects totaling $162 million in February.

The agency awarded 20 of the projects on March 3. Later in the month, it awarded another two projects originally deferred during February.

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Georgia Officials Award $150.3 Million Worth of Transportation Projects

The Georgia Department of Transportation awarded 31 projects valued at more than $150.3 million in December.

The largest single investment was a roughly $16 million award to E.R. Snell Contractor. As part of the project, the company will mill and resurface nearly 10.9 miles of U.S. Route 20/Georgia Highway 402 from west of Columbia Drive to the Rockdale-DeKalb county line.

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Feds Sending $4 Million to Georgia for McIntosh County Ferry Service

The feds are sending $4 million to the Georgia Department of Transportation to buy a new electric ferry.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will use the ferry for its passenger service between Meridian and Sapelo Island in McIntosh County. The new ferry will replace an older vessel to continue daily transit service.

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Georgia Legislative Study Committee Endorses Pilot Mileage Tax Program

The Joint Study Committee on the Electrification of Transportation has endorsed the Georgia Department of Transportation’s pilot program taxing motorists based on vehicle miles traveled.

Charging a mileage tax would recoup what state leaders see as a potential loss in revenue via the gas tax. Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, suspended the gas tax to help Georgians counter rising inflation.

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Georgia Transportation Officials Award More than $152.4 Million During October

The State Transportation Board awarded more than $152.4 million for 25 projects during its October 2022 meeting.

So far in fiscal 2023, the board has awarded more than $573.2 million in construction contracts. The total includes “Design-Bid-Build,” Transportation Investment Act and locally administered projects.

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Georgia Department of Transportation Awarded $91.4 Million in Projects for September

The Georgia Department of Transportation awarded more than $91.4 million for 22 projects in September, officials said.

Nearly half (47.8%) went to bridge projects, while about a third (31.8%) went to resurfacing projects. An additional 19.2% went to safety projects, while 1.1% went to widening and reconstruction projects.

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Inflation, Supply Chain Woes Raise Costs for Georgia Road Projects

Inflation is driving up the cost of road projects in Georgia, with some project bids more than 40% higher than projected.

As a result, Georgia Department of Transportation officials have rejected some high bids and deferred resurfacing projects for the last six months.

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Georgia Study Indicates $103 Million in Improvements Needed for State’s Air Cargo System

A Georgia study identified more than $103 million in air cargo investments at Georgia airports to keep up with growing demands, and state taxpayers may fund at least some of the projects.

The Statewide Air Cargo Study conducted for the Georgia Department of Transportation recommended the state create an Air Cargo Working Group to, in part, advocate for funding from the state legislature. The study does not include the air cargo investment needed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the country’s 13th busiest air cargo airport.

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Georgia Says It Awarded $104.7 Million in Road Projects, but $93 Million Deferred

The Georgia Department of Transportation said it awarded seven projects valued at more than $104.7 million in August.

However, the awards list the agency provided indicates that the state only awarded about $12.1 million in projects. A GDOT spokesman said officials deferred a pair of widening and reconstruction projects worth roughly $93 million and expect to award them later.

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Feds Pay Millions to Subsidize Air Service to Georgia Airport

The federal government pays millions of dollars annually to subsidize commercial air service at the Macon, Georgia, airport.

The Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon receives nearly $4.7 million annually — or more than $19.5 million over four years and two months — as part of the Alternate Essential Air Service program. AEAS is similar to the Essential Air Service program, which Congress created in 1978, except that the money may go to a community instead of directly to an air carrier.

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Georgia Officials Want Federal Help with Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

The Georgia Department of Transportation hopes to secure federal funding to pay for a network of electric vehicle charging stations across The Peach State.

GDOT has submitted the state’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan required to tap into federal funding for developing the network. Georgia officials expect to secure $135 million from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program.

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Georgia to Receive $9.1 Million in Federal Funds for State-Owned Railroads

The federal government is sending more than $9.1 million for a pair of rehabilitation projects on Georgia-owned Class III railroads.

The Federal Railroad Administration will provide nearly $6.2 million to the Heart of Georgia and roughly $2.9 million to the Georgia Southwestern Railroad. The Georgia Department of Transportation owns both lines, and the state will provide a 50% match for the projects.

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