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AJC - Tunnel lacking in light

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rjluna2:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Monday, July 12, 2010. Metro Section, page B2.

Take to Task What's not working

Tunnel lacking in light

Metro Atlanta

   Every so often Take to Task gets a report from a reader about a tunnel with nonworking lights somewhere on the state's highway system.  Last month's e-mail from Fred Duncan of Atlanta is a good example.
   Duncan is concerned about where I-20 West and East come together to merge with the Downtown Connector northbound.  During the merge, traffic is routed through a short tunnel, the lighting for which Duncan says is sorely in need of maintenance.
   "I'd estimate there are 200 to 300 lights in the tunnel and all but two are burned out," Duncan wrote, "making it incredibly dark and dangerous.  It's especially bad when going from bright sunlight to almost total blackness.  Combine that with five lanes merging to two and it's recipe for disaster."
   In the past when we've reported such problems to Georgia's Department of Transportation - the agency responsible for maintaining tunnel lighting - the response wasn't encouraging.  The trouble location was "put on the list" with no time frame for repairs given.  Unfortunately, this time was no different.
   "We're working as hard as we can to try and keep up [with all the reports]," department spokesman Mark McKinnon said, "but with current manpower issues and budget constrains we can only go so fast."
   According to McKinnon, the department prioritizes lighting maintenance against all pending repairs - i.e., failed roadway surfaces, damaged guardrails, fallen signage - based on public safety.  He says the dynamic nature of the list of outstanding projects (there might be two damaged guardrails today but 10 tomorrow, with some of the new ones being in high-traffic locations) makes it difficult if not impossible to determine when a given repair might be made.
   "Unfortunately, lower-priority items often get pushed down the list by new, higher-priority projects that pop up," McKinnon explained.
   "Hopefully, as the recession eases and the budget problems work themselves out, we'll be able to add staff and do a better job of getting to all the outstanding projects," McKinnon added.
   McKinnon advised that motorists can report non-working tunnel lighting directly to the GDOT district office responsible for that tunnel.
   For tunnels in District 7 (DeKalb, Fulton, Clayton, Cobb, Douglas and Rockdale counties), call xxx-xxx-xxxx.
   For District 1, which includes Gwinnett, Forsyth, Hall, Barrow and Dawson counties, call xxx-xxx-xxxx.  Ask for the maintenance department - but don't hold your breath.
   We'll keep an eye on the nonworking tunnel lights Duncan reported and let you know when they're back on.

John Becker

rjluna2:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Wednesday, July 14, 2010. Metro Section, page B2.

Metro Update

Repairs not likely for several months

   Last week Take to Task reported on tunnels along the state's highway system - including many in metro Atlanta - that have nonworking lights.  The Georgia's Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining the lighting but, despite keeping a list of such sites when they're reported, struggles to makes repairs in a timely manner due to manpower and other budget constraints.
   We asked spokesman Mark McKinnon for a ballpark estimates of when the lights in the tunnel we ported on last week - where I-20 East and West meet and merge with the Downtown Connector northbound - might be repaired.
   McKinnon responded by saying the department is conducting a comprehensive engineering study to determine the requirements for repairing all tunnel lighting in metro Atlanta.  He said many of the sites also have experienced copper theft so part of the study will be to determine how to prevent such future vandalism.
   "This is quite an extensive study," McKinnon said, "and we want to make sure we come up with the right solution so we can be good stewards of the taxpayer's money when we do finally [repair the lights]."
   McKinnon said the repairs we were asking about likely would not be made for several months.

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