A New Board Member

ATANE’s newest Board Member Walter Hickey, P.E., with his extensive engineering, managerial, and administrative experience, brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will undoubtedly contribute significantly to the company’s growth and success.

Walter retired from MTA Bridges and Tunnels as Deputy Chief Engineer. His background in overseeing Capital and Major Maintenance Programs at prominent bridges, such as the RFK Suspension, Lift, and Bronx Truss bridges, along with the Henry Hudson Bridge, reflects his hands-on experience in managing critical infrastructure projects. His proficiency in bridge rehabilitation, water distribution, building construction, rail reconstruction, and mechanical systems aligns seamlessly with ATANE’s work scope. His proven track record and professional standing in the community further enhance the company’s reputation and capabilities to serve our clients.

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY ICBM BUILDING 5 Burlington, MA

Northeastern University’s Innovation Campus in Burlington is anchored by the George J. Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security, which fosters collaborative research aimed at helping communities, critical systems, and infrastructure withstand, respond to, and recover from catastrophes. Researchers in the labs and centers at the institute conduct research in areas such as security, nanoscale printing, and structural testing for buildings and bridges. 

ATANE provided material testing and inspection services to Northeastern University for the second phase of a two-phase project to expand the Kostas Research Institute.  The first phase involved the installation of a 1.8-million-cubic-foot netted drone-flight facility; the second phase involves the construction of a three-story, 104,000-square-foot building designed to increase collaboration among students, faculty, and government and industry partners.

This at-grade, steel-framed structure will feature research labs, a meeting area for workshops, and a suite of high-tech equipment, including 3-D printers and other prototyping technology. It will become the new home for the university’s Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Laboratory, where scientists, technicians, and managers in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries receive hands-on training in liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis. The building will also feature a roof-level observation deck to monitor activities at the adjacent drone-flight facility.

Testing and inspection services included:

  • Soil and earthwork
  • Masonry
  • Concrete and reinforcing
  • Structural steel and miscellaneous metal
  • Paint
  • Penetration firestopping and fire resistive joint systems
  • Building envelope and exterior insulation finishing system

ENCORE BOSTON HARBOR Everett, MA1

ATANE provided construction inspection and material testing services for the largest, single-phase private-sector project in the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Encore Boston Harbor, a $2.6 billion, five-star resort, is located on the site of a former 33.9-acre chemical manufacturing plant. The 3.1-million-square-foot resort includes a luxury hotel with 671 rooms, a gaming area, retail space, food and beverage outlets, convention and meeting space, a spa and gym, 2,930 parking spaces, and other complimentary amenities.

The project also includes extensive landscape and open space amenities, including a public gathering area with an outdoor park-like open space setting, a pavilion, waterfront features, a public harbor walk, and water transportation docking facilities reconnecting the City of Everett to the Mystic River and Boston Harbor. Off-site features include extensive transportation improvements and a multi-use path from the project’s harbor walk to existing paths at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Gateway Park. 

Our inspectors were responsible for ensuring that the resort was constructed in strict accordance with all contract documents. Specific services included laboratory/field inspections and testing of soils, concrete, masonry, structural steel, and building envelopes.

ACE Students Prep for Presentation Night

Our ACE Mentor Program high school students are pictured here after a long day of work! These students and the HAKS mentors got together recently to start work on their ACE Final Project, a top-secret assignment that will be part of a public presentation in May where they will display and describe their work. After working with these young engineers, it is clear they have the makings of a special bunch. Looking forward to Presentation Night!

Existing bridge coating removal and re-coating on 34 bridges in District 4 – ConnDOT

ATANE is providing Construction Engineering and Inspection (CE&I) services to the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) for existing bridge coating removal and re-coating on 34 bridges in District 4, CT. (Estimated Completion Date: 2025). ConnDOT issued an Emergency Declaration and ATANE was selected to provide the CE&I services under our Task-Based Agreement.

The purpose of this Emergency Declaration Construction project is to address a sudden loss of adhesion of the paint system to the base metal impacting bridges across the State.  As a result of an unknown event, possibly a severe drop in temperature following a relatively warm period during the winter of 2023, dozens of older paint-coated structures exhibited this sudden loss of adhesion.  This resulted in large quantities of paint chips, some potentially including lead-based paint, falling off the structures. The remaining loose paint on thousands of square feet of steel beams will be removed as well as the reapplication of a protective coating. The locations and geometry of the bridges vary significantly, from single span structures in rural areas to multi-span structures over I-84, and complex structures carrying I-84 over local roads and railroads.

Route 17 On-Ramp to Route 9 Northbound in Middletown, CT – ConnDOT

ATANE is providing Construction Engineering and Inspection (CE&I) services to the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) for Route 17 On-Ramp to Route 9 Northbound (Project No. 0082-0316) in Middletown, CT. (Estimated Completion Date: 2026).

The purpose of the project is to enhance safety for vehicles at the on-ramp of Route 17 onto Route 9 Northbound, which has a high frequency of rear-end crashes. The existing ramp from Route 17 to Route 9 is a skewed stop-controlled on-ramp with a short acceleration lane. The lack of a standard acceleration lane is due to the limited roadway width of the bridge immediately north of the on-ramp which carries Route 9 over Union Street and an active Providence and Worcester rail line. The project will replace the existing bridge in a multiple stage process that will reuse portions of the existing structure while maintaining rail service to provide a full-length acceleration lane and remove the stop-controlled condition. The new bridge will be supported by hundreds of micropiles, and the steel girders will be metallized and painted.

The Harbor Drive on-ramp to Route 9 will be removed and Harbor Drive will be reconfigured as a low speed, pedestrian friendly, local access road serving the Connecticut River riverfront and adjacent properties. The Project will provide additional pedestrian access across Union Street on the south side. There will be extensive landscaping to beautify the area.

The Route 17 interchange at Main Street Extension will be re-aligned and signalized, and a new sidewalk will be added to the west side of Main Street Extension underneath Route 17. A noise wall will be installed on the Route 17 Northbound on-ramp. Route 17 Northbound will be reduced to 2 lanes from 3 lanes to simplify the traffic weave. Retaining walls will be constructed on the west side of Route 9 with a simulated Brownstone facia. There will be rehabilitation work on four other bridges within the project limits, including bridge deck wearing surface removal and resurfacing, concrete deck patching, membrane installation, parapet upgrades, and structural steel repair. The whole Project will receive a final 2-inch overlay.

Upgrading cameras (CCTV), traffic flow monitors, fiber optics and communications on portions of I-95 and Route 7 – ConnDOT

ATANE was recently selected to provide Construction Engineering and Inspection (CE&I) services to the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) for upgrading cameras (CCTV), traffic flow monitors, fiber optics and communications on portions of I-95 and installing the same type of equipment on Route 7 in Southwest Connecticut.

The purpose of this Project is to upgrade and expand ConnDOT’s Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), which includes the Incident Management System (IMS) components installed on this Project.  The CCTV camera system throughout Connecticut is a vital element in ConnDOT’s overarching ITS program.  The real-time traffic condition information provided by CCTV camera images, accessible on ConnDOT’s website, serves as a valuable resource for ConnDOT, the media, and the travelling public.  CTDOT has strategically installed CCTV cameras and traffic flow monitors along all major limited access highways as part of its ever-growing ITS program.  Leveraging technologies like CCTV cameras, traffic flow monitors, and electric message signs, ConnDOT can effectively monitor and gather information on traffic conditions.  This enables the effective management of traffic, swift incident detection, the dispatch of the appropriate response, and offers motorists advance notice of congestion.  This proactive approach reduces the possibility of secondary accidents and allows the motorists to explore alternate routes, travel modes, or adjusted travel times.

The primary objective of this Project is to enhance safety, alleviate congestion, and improve traffic flow.

The system installations will include the following:

  • 23 miles of new 72-strand fiber optic cable in existing multicell conduit along I-95 from the Town of Greenwich to the Town of Fairfield.
  • 2 miles of new 72-strand fiber optic cable in existing multicell conduit along Route 7 in the City of Norwalk.
  • 8 miles of new 72-strand fiber optic cable in new multicell conduit along Route 7 in the City of Norwalk.
  • Replace 37 existing CCTV camera installations along I-95 with a new CCTV pole, Camera Lowering Device (CLD), and foundation, and replace existing CCTV control cabinet.
  • Install 4 new CCTV camera installations along Route 7, to include CCTV cameras, CCTV poles with foundations and control cabinets.
  • The cameras and traffic flow monitors will be attached to 70-foot, 2-section poles. The poles will be secured to drilled shaft foundations, typically 22 feet deep.