I-285/I-20 East Interchange Reconstruction
United Consulting provided geotechnical engineering support for reconstruction of the East Interchange of I-285 at I-20. This ongoing project includes replacing multiple connecting ramps and upgrading approximately six additional miles of I-20, primarily east of I-285. These improvements are designed to alleviate rush hour congestion and enhance driver safety by optimizing ramp configurations for a smoother transition between these major metropolitan interstates.
Our role includes reviewing numerous completed Bridge Foundation Investigations (BFI), Wall Foundation Investigations (WFI), high mast lighting reports, and soil surveys. In addition, we assess design and construction plans, shop drawings, and other project documents prepared by the contractor’s design team before submission to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) for review. United Consulting’s subject matter experts (SME) complete independent geotechnical document reviews in one week while ensuring compliance with GDOT standards and constructability of proposed changes. The standard review process is six to eight weeks.
For this GDOT-sponsored Design-Build (DB) project, GDOT is pioneering a new DB process, with United Consulting serving as an independent quality control reviewer ensuring all geotechnical documents adhere to GDOT’s standards and verify all geotechnical changes are constructable. Unlike the traditional 6-to-8-week review timeline, our assessments are completed in approximately one week. With numerous reports to review, this accelerated process translates into months of time saved across the overall project schedule. In our role as intermediary SME, we facilitate the progression of engineering reports expeditiously through GDOT’s review process while maintaining the required level of quality control.
United Consulting’s geotechnical support was instrumental in helping GDOT pioneer its new DB project delivery process and assisted in delivering this project on schedule and within budget. By streamlining the approval of design documents, this approach significantly reduces the risk of project delays that could otherwise arise from prolonged GDOT review timelines. Our role in working with the construction company, as a trusted partner of the construction company, we are committed to maintaining GDOT’s standards on their behalf while expediting the review and approval process in a fraction of the time it generally takes for these tasks. Integrating engineering consultants like United Consulting into this innovative DB process benefits both GDOT and its designated consultants, allowing GDOT’s engineering staff to focus on other critical projects and minimizing delays due to the overall project volumes.
