Highway contractors seek more workers in Georgia

Companies struggle to keep up with increased funding for projects.

A huge increase in state funding for road and bridge projects has highway contractors scrambling to find the workers needed to keep up.

The Georgia Highway Contractors Association recently launched a campaign to raise awareness about road construction jobs and help companies fill their openings.

Lawmakers approved a package of tax and fee increases in 2015 aimed at raising an extra $1 billion a year for construction projects. Lawmakers in the past few sessions have also approved borrowing $100 million a year for road and bridge projects.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Tuesday that Department of Transportation’s obligations — mostly to contractors — increased $700 million in fiscal 2016, which ended June 30.

State officials announced Tuesday that Marietta-based C.W. Matthews, the state’s largest contractor, was chosen to repair I-85 after part of it collapsed last week in Atlanta, but major projects are going on across Georgia.

“Across the state, our members have job openings that need to be filled,” said David Moellering, the executive director of the Georgia Highway Contractors Association.

The association has put up a website, GeorgiaRoadsJobs.com, to provide information — in English and Spanish — about jobs in the industry and job openings. Association officials said a survey of contractors suggests there are hundreds of unfilled openings.

Association officials say pay is based on experience and the type of job, but salaries can range from $18,000 to $75,000 a year.

CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM Construction workers scramble to complete the pedestrian bridge from the parking lots of the Cobb Galleria over I-285 to SunTrust Park on March 23. Projects across the state have highway contractors scrambling to find workers.