Gresham Smith Wins Engineering Excellence Award from ACEC Georgia

8月 31, 2020

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia (ACEC Georgia) has awarded Gresham Smith an Engineering Excellence Award for its work on an innovative intersection project in Snellville, Georgia.

The intersection of US 78/SR 10 and SR 124 sits at the heart of Snellville in South Gwinnett County. After experiencing years of worsening traffic conditions at this pivotal intersection, including major delays during peak traffic hours, the Georgia Department of Transportation approached Gresham Smith to develop a cost-effective conceptual design solution that would ease the extreme congestion while minimizing impacts to adjacent properties.

Following the evaluation of several concepts for a preferred alternative, Gresham Smith identified a viable solution that would redirect traffic onto an underutilized bypass while managing the heavier volumes through an innovative two-legged displaced left-turn (DLT) intersection—also known as a continuous flow intersection (CFI). The design allows US 78/SR 10 left-turning and through-traffic to move simultaneously, increasing efficiency and improving safety by reducing potential conflict points. Traffic signals at the left-turn crossovers and the main intersection are operated in a coordinated mode so that vehicles do not stop multiple times in the intersection area. The final DLT design not only successfully addressed traffic and community concerns, but did so under budget and within a shorter construction time frame as compared to other alternatives considered.

The award was announced at the Georgia Engineering Awards on August 29 at the Whitley Hotel in Buckhead.

“We’re honored to be named by ACEC Georgia for our innovative design work on the state’s second displaced left-turn intersection,” said Jody Braswell, Georgia state transportation leader at Gresham Smith. “When we began designing this intersection, there was no precedent for the design of this type of project. We think this project really serves as a case study for future projects of its type because of the impact it has had on safety, mobility and traffic congestion.”

The Engineering Excellence Awards are an annual design competition provided by ACEC Georgia. The Engineering Excellence Awards recognize engineering achievements demonstrating the highest degree of merit and ingenuity. Entries are rated on the basis of uniqueness and originality; future value to the engineering profession; social, economic and sustainable development considerations; complexity; and successful fulfillment of client/owner’s needs. The Awards offer all competition entrants a valuable opportunity to be recognized by showcasing their talent, their expertise and their profession.

Gresham Smith’s transportation professionals deliver comprehensive management, planning, design, environmental, and construction phase services for highway, transit, aviation and rail facilities throughout the Southeast. The staff of engineers, planners and scientists capitalize on the firm’s diverse blend of markets and disciplines to offer a truly integrated and sustainable approach that considers all perspectives and offers practical, forward-thinking solutions.