The International Boulevard viaduct project is transportation personified, serving pedestrian and several types of vehicle traffic on different levels – from buses and taxi service for an international convention center and two sports complexes to daily delivery trucks for a major hotel. Added to the constraints was the need to maintain round-the-clock operation of two major railroad companies on multiple tracks through the project. The combined constraints required both input and compromise from each stakeholder in order to find the best solutions and formal public information meetings to explain the project to the broader population.

Through a series of formal, facilitated stakeholder meetings, H&L (A BCC Company) developed a context sensitive solution that met the needs and desires of the stakeholders. The final design called for a major downtown urban viaduct above a lower-level service road, with every bridge pier unique to fit around the numerous constraints. The photo shows an aerial view of the impressive solution developed for International Boulevard. The project ties CNN, Philips Arena, Georgia Dome, Georgia World Congress Center, and CNN Hotel together at two levels and serves the vehicular traffic—both commercial and private, and pedestrians with improved access and increased security.

The success of the design was proven during construction when Archer Western won the project for a bid price that matched the engineers estimate and completed construction of the project, with all its complexities, on time and in budget.