Alpharetta Picks Engineering Design Firm For Haynes Bridge Shift

An engineering design firm's creative approach to solving storm water and detention issues was picked to help Alpharetta create plans to shift Haynes Bridge Road west as part of the city's redevelopment plans.

Eric Graves, senior engineer for Transportation in the city's Engineering & Public Works Department, said the realignment will allow the city to combine the 22 acres of property it owns, including several acres now on the east side of Haynes Bridge.

Combining the property is an important part of the city's plans, which include a new Fulton County Library branch, a new City Hall, a 5-acre park and a parking deck to serve these buildings and the park space.

The new alignment begins at the north end at the intersection of Brooke and Academy streets, meandering south to a roundabout near the existing Haynes Bridge Road-Thompson Street intersection.

URS said in its proposal that its team had identified several possible cost-saving and value engineering measures, such as using the existing road bed of Haynes Bridge Road as access to the parking deck planned for the site. A value engineering effort would be to recommend finding out if dirt excavated from the detention ponds was suitable as fill for building pads, eliminating the need for other sources of fill.

The Alpharetta City Council approved at its July 11 meeting URS Corp.'s bid of $149,998 for professional services needed to prepare construction documents for the realignment project. The bid was slightly higher than the low bidder, but the committee examining bids determined it was the best proposal.

"You get what you pay for, Mr. Mayor," said Councilman Chris Owens, who is an engineer.