Parsons’ Northwest Corridor Express Lanes Project No. 1 on Roads & Bridges Top 10 Roads

The Northwest Corridor Express Lanes project was selected as the No. 1 project on Roads & Bridges Top 10 Roads of 2018 list. Parsons served as lead designer to a design-build joint venture on Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) first public-private partnership, and it is the largest transportation project in Georgia’s history.

The Northwest Corridor Express Lanes include 29.7 mi of reversible tolled express lanes along I‑5 and I‑575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties in metropolitan Atlanta. The reversible toll lanes extend northwest along I‑75 from I-285 to Hickory Grove Road and along I‑575 from the I‑75/I‑575 interchange to Sixes Road. The lanes are open in the southbound direction during morning peak hours and in the northbound direction during midday, afternoon, and evening peak traffic.

As lead designer, Parsons enabled the project team to save approximately $110 million through innovative designs and alternative technical concepts. The final design significantly reduced the need for right-of-way acquisition from what was originally anticipated to be more than 80 parcels to less than 20 parcels, further reducing project costs and accelerating the delivery of this unique facility. In coordination with GDOT, Parsons led the design team to obtain final approvals on 866 early work package design drawings to begin construction within 11 months from Notice to Proceed (NTP). Furthermore, Parsons spearheaded the design of 6 new express lane interchanges on I‑75, 3 new access points along I‑575, and 39 bridges with lengths totaling more than 5 mi. In addition, the team extended GDOT’s NaviGAtor Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), which is based upon Parsons’ iNET™, that will assist GDOT in monitoring traffic, controlling messaging signs, and operating access gates.

This project has embodied the true spirit of design-build delivery at a scale that has never been seen before in Georgia. The quality, schedule, and financial performance on this project are setting the bar for future mega-design-build project delivery within Georgia and around the country.