Tidewater Skanska Wins $199M I-95 Project in Brunswick

Tidewater Skanska of Virginia Beach, Va., was awarded a $199 million contract from the Georgia Department of Transportation to reconstruct a section of Interstate 95 in Brunswick.

The project includes widening of 5.72 mi. of the roadway from four to six lanes. Included in the contract is construction of four double bridges and approaches. Signage, electrical and intelligent transportation systems will also be installed. The work site begins south of Turtle River and extends north.

One of the bridges being constructed will cross over CSX rail lines, another over U.S. Highway 341 and another will cross over Gibson Creek. The main span over the Turtle River will measure 3,500 ft. long.

Construction of the bridges and roadway will require construction of 19,000 lin. ft. of 54-in. diameter drilled caissons, 34,000 lin. ft. of 60-in. diameter drilled caissons, 5,000 lin. ft. of cast-in-place retaining walls and 133,000 sq. ft. of sound barrier walls. For roadway construction, 160,000 tons of asphalt, 116,000 sq. yds. of concrete paving and 300,000 sq. yds. of aggregate base will be required.

The contract requires that workers maintain a watch for the manatees that inhabit the area. If one of the endangered animals is spotted, work must immediately cease until the manatee leaves the area.

Georgia Contract Activity Up 17 Percent in July

After experiencing double-digit declines in May and June, Georgia construction contract activity rebounded with a 17 percent uptick in July, compared to the same period of a year ago, McGraw-Hill Construction reported. The value of contracts signed during July for future construction totaled nearly $2.5 billion, up from the $2.1 billion reported for last July.

The biggest market, residential, dropped by 16 percent compared to July 2005, however, and totaled roughly $1.1 billion. The nonresidential category grew by 11 percent to tally $642.1 million for the month, up from last July's $580.6 million. The value of nonbuilding contracts more than tripled compared to last July, with a total of $697.8 million for the month.

For the year-to-date, Georgia contract activity is now 8 percent ahead of 2005's pace. The nonresidential category is 4 percent behind the first seven months of 2005, with a roughly $3.8 billion total. The residential market, valued at nearly $10.3 billion to date, is about 9 percent ahead of 2005's pace. With the huge gain in July, the nonbuilding sector went from negative to positive. With a total of almost $2.4 billion total, this sector is now 25 percent ahead of '05.

Cousins Properties Announces Fox Plaza Project

Atlanta-based developer Cousins Properties announced plans for Fox Plaza, a 2.4-acre multi-phase mixed-use community bounded by Ponce de Leon Avenue, Juniper Street, North Avenue and Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta. The first phase of the project would be a 30-story, 210-unit high-rise condominium tower called The Premiere at Fox Plaza.

The Premiere will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom units, as well as penthouse units, with pricing expected to start from the low $300,000s. The building will also include more than 20,000 sq. ft. of street-level retail, including a 5,000-sq.-ft. restaurant.

Cousins stated that in addition to The Premiere, Fox Plaza also will contain another building that will include some combination of office, hotel, residential or retail uses facing Peachtree Street. Plans for that site - currently home to a 1950s-era, 12-story office building - are still in development.

Demolition of the existing structures on the site was expected to begin immediately. Cousins stated that construction on The Premiere would begin this fall, with completion expected in mid-2008.

The Premiere at Fox Plaza is the developer's second condominium project in Midtown.

GSA Awards Build-to-Suit Contract to Highwoods Properties

Highwoods Properties announced it has been awarded a 91,000-sq.-ft. build-to-suit contract with a long-term lease by the General Services Administration to develop a Class A office building with structured parking for the Department of Homeland Security in Atlanta. The cost of the project is approximately $21.7 million and includes the purchase of two acres of land.

According to Highwoods Properties, construction will commence in the fourth quarter. It is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2007.

Manhattan Construction Co. Starts on Dawson Co. Detention Center Project

Manhattan Construction Co. and others recently took part in the formal groundbreaking for the $15 million Dawson County Adult Detention Center and Sheriff's offices in Dawsonville.

HOK is the architect for the project, which is scheduled for completion by fall 2007.

The facility will measure 68,500 sq. ft. and will include general population housing for an additional 192 inmates, an inmate processing area, new kitchen and laundry facilities as well as an 18,500-sq.-ft. sheriff's operations center.