As MARTA’s Centralized Project Management Organization (CPMO), the joint venture of Jacobs Project Management Co. and H.J. Russell will manage approximately $700 million in construction spending in the first five years of the authority’s “More MARTA” expansion project. At $3 billion, the project is the largest expansion in MARTA’s history.

It is anticipated the project will create more than 6,000 jobs and employ 15 subcontractors, 13 of whom are either minority-owned, women-owned, or small business enterprises. Russell, the 40% joint venture partner, is a minority-owned firm.

The Jacobs/Russell team will be responsible for the standardization of project management processes. The team will also handle quality assurance and project resources, including planning, monitoring, and performance measurements. The acquisition of a CPMO addresses concerns related to a lack of project controls, an issue noted in an independent audit, as well as one conducted by MARTA in 2017.

With more than 132 years of combined experience in program and construction management, the Jacobs/ Russell team will undergird MARTA’s commitment to efficient project delivery and innovation, including bringing online a dashboard that will allow the public to track the progress of More MARTA projects.