A Design-Bid-Build delivery method was chosen for this project. The construction requirements were very specialized in nature, resulting in a select group of general contractors pursuing this project. In addition, the Authority relied heavily on its in-house architecture and engineering resources to ensure the design intent was met and to quickly address issues that arose during construction. Using in-house resources ensured the Authority full and timely access to the design resources and construction management oversight expertise during the construction implementation phase.

The Authority is the principal public transit system in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting of 48 miles of rail track with 38 train stations. It is the 8th-largest rapid transit system in the U.S. by ridership. The Authority has a total of 539 buses, of which 373 use CNG.

The awarded contract sum for the project was $15,439,720. Due to extensive testing requirements for process piping and increased scope, fee, and commissioning requirements for the CNG Fueling Facility at Hamilton, the final contract sum for the project was $15,942,075, an increase of $502,355 (3.2%). Because the project had a $771,986 contingency, the difference was accommodated with additional Board authorization.

The project started on June 26, 2017, with an Administrative Notice to Proceed of 120 days. During this phase, the contractor submitted all project submittals with priorities on submittals that had long-lead times along with providing the Project Quality Management Plan, the System Safety Plan and the Construction Safety Plan. Once the phase was completed, the Site Notice to Proceed phase started on Nov. 27, 2017, which consisted of 365 days, establishing the Substantial Completion be Nov. 27, 2018. Extensive testing requirements for process piping, and commissioning requirements for the CNG Fueling Family at Hamilton, the project SNTP phase was extended an additional 261 days, setting the new Substantial Completion for Aug. 15, 2019. This date was met.

Construction of the CNG Fueling Facility at Hamilton included a state-of-the-art Industrial Wastewater Treatment Processing facility. The CNG Fueling Facility at Hamilton represents a new project design and construction management approach which required the Authority to self-perform the design and oversee the construction management professional services. This was an ambitious undertaking since this project was highly technical in nature and presented several site and operational challenges.