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December 25 2024
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Vol. XXVI • No. 26
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State Is Moving Ahead to Enhance Highway Networks By Irwin Rapoport
Construction crews build a ramp near Atlanta.
CEG CORRESPONDENT
As Georgia’s population and economy surge, the need for an enhanced road network has never been greater, and the state’s multi-billion-dollar Major Mobility Investment Program (MMIP) is building the infrastructure to meet immediate and future demands. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) recently announced its largest MMIP private sector partner selections in state history. The August 2024 State Transportation Board approved proposals for both the $4.6 billion State Route 400 Express Lanes and the $1.2 billion Interstate 285/Interstate 20 West Interchange projects. GDOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry spoke at the August board meeting on the groundbreaking nature of the back-to-back billion-dollar MMIP milestone award announcements. The public-private partnership approach, noted the DOT, reduces the public funding needed since the private sector partner will finance the projects. Everyday commuters, freight and public transit all reap the future benefits. “This is a public-private partnership and the last ‘P,’ which stands for partnership, is key to the success of these projects,” McMurray said. “That partnership is with both teams through the procurement process. By far, these two teams presented proposals to accomplish far more than we could do with our current funding. I can’t say enough of both teams’ interest in Georgia to work with Georgia DOT and SRTA to deliver mobility options in the SR 400 and I-285 west corridors.” see MMIP page 6
Rivian Snares $6.6B Federal Loan to Build New EV Factory Rivian Automotive, an Irvine, Calif.based manufacturer, has received a loan for up to $6.6 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program to support the construction of Rivian’s next facility in Stanton Springs North, near Atlanta. The funding also will help accelerate the company’s growth in the design, development and manufacturing of its electric vehicles, which include the R2 model, a midsize
SUV and the R3/R3X, a midsize crossover. The new facility will be built in two phases, each featuring 200,000 units of annual production capacity, according to Rivian. Phase One is expected to be completed in 2028, with the company creating 7,500 operations jobs through 2030. “This loan will help create thousands of new American jobs and further strengthen U.S. leadership in EV manufacturing and technology,” RJ Scaringe, Rivian’s founder and CEO, noted in a statement. “[It] would
enable Rivian to more aggressively scale our U.S. manufacturing footprint for our competitively priced R2 and R3 vehicles that emphasize both capability and affordability. A robust ecosystem of U.S. companies developing and manufacturing EVs is critical for the U.S. to maintain its long-term leadership in transportation.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that DOE’s loan commitment will provide Rivian with the financial backing to build its plant in southern Morgan and Walton coun-
ties, roughly an hour east of Atlanta along Interstate 20. With the loan, which requires Rivian to meet certain conditions, the company said it plans to begin EV production in 2028 but has not shared a timeline for resuming construction at the site. In addition to the pending federal loan, Rivian is set to benefit from a roughly $1.5 billion incentive package offered by state and local leaders. The bulk of those incensee LOAN page 6