Metal roof, wall panels give Georgia patrol a solid presence along busy I-85
One of Georgia’s major highways, Interstate 85 crosses through the congested Atlanta metro area as it traverses the state from Alabama to South Carolina. Gwinnet County, the state’s second largest, is among the busiest regions through which I-85 passes, and so, also requires a heavy presence from the Georgia State Patrol. A new post for the agency seeks to address this need from a strategic site directly alongside the highway corridor in the city of Suwanee. The post’s exterior features a solid combination of masonry and metal that promises to maintain the building’s good looks and performance for decades to come.
Since 2013, the post has operated in leased space with less-than-direct access to the highway its troopers are meant to patrol. The new 11,000-sq.-ft. building addresses this shortcoming with its 12.2-acre site near the merger of I-985 and I-85, with its own access to I-85 northbound lanes. This location is especially critical for the Highway Emergency Response Operators unit based at the post. This group helps aid stranded motorists and clears accident sites to limit related traffic backups in the heavily traveled region. The approximately $5 million facility includes space for storage, classrooms and dorms for troopers, along with required administrative areas.
Architects with the Lawrenceville, Ga., office of design firm Precision Planning Inc., turned to Petersen in their selection of steel roof and wall panels for the project. In all, 21,000 sq. ft. of PAC-CLAD 24-gauge Tite-Loc Plus roof panels were specified in the Weathered Zinc finish. Another 6,000 sq. ft. of 24-gauge Flush wall panels in Musket Gray help call out the clerestoried windows that bring added natural daylight into the single-level building.
Installation pros with Alpharetta, Ga.-based Abuck Building Systems used an additional 3,000 sq. ft. of PAC-CLAD 24-gauge flat sheet material to form gutters and downspouts, which add subtle detail to the exterior in a Matte Black finish that stands out nicely against the masonry in classic brick and sandstone tones chosen for the majority of the building’s façade.
