FTE reselects SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business as general engineering consultant

At the headquarters facility in the heart of Florida’s Turnpike, Atkins is embedded with FTE staff, addressing the travel demands spurred by the state’s growing population, influx of high-tech industries, Space Coast expansion, year-round tourism, and seaports for commercial cargo and cruise ships.

Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is continuing its 30-year relationship with Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) through a seventh consecutive selection as the tolling industry leader’s general engineering consultant (GEC). The firm will assist FTE in carrying out its five-year work program for Florida’s user-financed transportation system that provides safe roadways for travelers and supports the state’s economy. SNC-Lavalin acquired WS Atkins plc on July 3, 2017.

“For 30 years, FTE has trusted us to improve efficiency and keep the best interest of Florida’s travelers top of mind,” said George Nash, CEO of SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business in North America. “We are honored to continue providing top-level services to our client, including introducing new technology that integrates effectively with FTE’s legacy transportation systems to enhance turnpike operations.”

A business unit of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), FTE manages more than 480 miles of limited access toll roads and approximately 2,000 lane miles of roadway. Through the five-year, as-needed GEC contract award, Atkins will focus on the following areas of toll operations and transportation development to help plan, design, finance, build, operate and maintain the turnpike system:

• Program management
• Toll operations, and collection facilities and equipment planning
• Resolution and renewal requirements for FTE’s bond rating program
• Planning and design concept support
• Production project management
• Design support for plans review and engineering
• Comprehensive right-of-way services
• Environmental management

Embedded with state staff in a facility in the heart of the turnpike system, the Atkins team is providing FTE with the seamless service required to support strong partnerships with fellow FDOT business units and with local tolling agencies.

Atkins will continue managing emerging technologies and initiatives it has developed with FTE, including:

• Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV).
• Dedicated short-range communications data use.
• Domestic and international collaboration to optimize SunTrax, the state’s facility designed for testing transportation technology in a safe and controlled environment.
• An advisory team composed of worldwide Atkins practitioners who share the latest trends in intelligent mobility, asset management, geographic information systems, CAV, civil integrated management and data exploitation.

Since 1988, Atkins’ work has helped achieve major FTE milestones including expansion of all-electronic tolling, express lanes in highly congested areas, regional and national tolling interoperability successes and a centralized customer service system that streamlines traveler toll collections for FTE and three in-state expressway authorities.