Tom Moreland, longtime Georgia DOT commissioner, has died

Tom Moreland, the longtime Georgia transportation commissioner who later founded a successful engineering firm, died Monday.

The Georgia Department of Transportation confirmed Moreland’s death and said his “impact on transportation in Georgia is immeasurable.”

Moreland spent more than 30 years at GDOT, rising to chief engineer before serving as commissioner from 1975 to 1987. He oversaw some of the state’s largest transportation projects, including the current version of Atlanta’s Downtown Connector.

He also oversaw the reconstruction of the I-85 interchange at I-285 northeast of Atlanta, which now bears his name. But the Tom Moreland Interchange is better known as Spaghetti Junction.

After retiring from GDOT, he founded the Moreland Altobelli Associates civil engineering firm. It grew to more than 300 employees before it was acquired by another firm in 2017. It’s now known as Atlas.

ExploreRead and sign the online guestbook for Tom Moreland

Look for a full obituary on Moreland soon at ajc.com.

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