Cordele City Officials celebrated the beginning of their Gateway to the City project at two I-75 interchanges with a groundbreaking ceremony in early December. Improvements and enhancements to the interchanges of Exits 99, 101 and 102 include new signage and landscaping. Funding for the project is provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), partially through their Gateway Grant Program. The project includes irrigation systems for the landscaped improvements which required water mains to be extended along GDOT rights-of-way to the interchanges.
EMC Engineering Services, Inc. worked with the City of Cordele and GDOT in planning for the improvements with the preparation of rendered master plans to illustrate the intended landscape design and level of proposed plantings along with preliminary construction cost estimates. Once approved by the City of Cordele and GDOT, EMC prepared construction documents suitable for bidding by the City. Construction plans included landscape and signage plans, irrigation system plans, water system extension plans, and construction details. Permitting for the project included GDOT encroachment permits for the water system extensions and work within the interchanges. EMC worked with the City in preparing the bid documents and soliciting bids for the construction work in addition to overseeing the work as it progressed.