Archives for Fall 2024

OUTLOOK NEWSLETTER ( Fall 2024 )

CELEBRATING LEGACY AND NEW BEGINNINGS: A MILESTONE MOVE, JOHNSON ENGINEERING IS NOW AN APEX COMPANY

In a momentous shift that marks the beginning of a new chapter for Johnson Engineering, our firm has been acquired by Apex Companies, a national leader in consulting and engineering services.

In August 2024, Apex Companies finalized the purchase of Johnson Engineering. This acquisition represents a pivotal moment in our company’s history and presents exciting new opportunities for both our team and our valued clients.

Throughout the last 78 years, Johnson Engineering has grown to be one of the oldest and most prominent civil engineering firms in Southwest Florida. We began in 1946 when Carl E. Johnson, P.L.S., acquired the records of a local engineering and surveying company owned by Harry K. Davison, P.E., a well-known engineer in the Southwest Florida community since the early 1900s. Through the years, the company transformed into a multi-disciplined civil engineering firm and even acquired Marco Surveying & Mapping, a Naples, Florida based company, to enhance the firm’s surveying services.

It was this rich history with decades of successful projects, a strong reputation, and unmatched employee tenure which drew Apex to want to combine forces to build an even stronger presence throughout the southeastern United States.

We didn’t make this decision lightly; we carefully chose Apex as our partner because their values and principles align with ours. We deeply value the well-being and stability of our team and have always been committed to keeping our staff and clients at the heart of what we do. With Apex Companies, we’ve found a partner whose vision and goals resonate with our own. Apex is a people-first, family-oriented firm that genuinely respects our team and our culture. Their goal is to integrate our strengths to broaden the range of services we offer, allowing us to provide even more comprehensive solutions to our clients. This alignment of values and commitment to maintaining our successful operations makes this partnership an exciting and natural evolution for Johnson Engineering.

Apex was established in 1988 and is a national multidisciplinary consulting and engineering services firm with a broad portfolio that includes water, environmental services, compliance and assurance, health and safety, and transportation and civil services. Apex is known for its technical expertise, rapid response, and exceptional client satisfaction, boasting impressive rankings such as #12 among ENR All-Environmental firms and #58 in the Top 200 overall.

This union brings together the strengths of Johnson Engineering and Apex, alongside Apex’s recent acquisition of Water Science Associates. The combined expertise of these firms offers unparalleled depth and breadth in services, reinforcing our long-standing presence in Florida and enhancing our ability to serve both public and private markets.

For our clients, this acquisition translates into enhanced capabilities and a broader range of services. The integration with Apex Companies means that Johnson Engineering will now have access to an expanded suite of technical resources and industry-leading expertise. We are excited about the new opportunities this partnership presents and are committed to maintaining the high standards of service and quality that have defined our work for decades.

Our team remains dedicated to providing innovative solutions and exceptional outcomes, and we are confident that our alliance with Apex will only strengthen our ability to meet and exceed your expectations.

As we embark on this new journey with Apex Companies, we remain focused on delivering the excellence and client satisfaction that have been hallmarks of Johnson Engineering. We look forward to leveraging our combined strengths to support your projects and goals more effectively than ever before.

We thank our clients for their continued support and partnership. We are excited about the future and the opportunities it holds for us all. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue with our same great team to evolve and enhance our services under the Apex umbrella.

For more information on the services Apex currently offers visit https://apexcos.com. For questions, please contact Juli Kern at [email protected].

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FDOT OPENS NEW WILDLIFE CROSSING ON I-4 IN POLK COUNTY

One June 2024 morning, the heat and humidity took backseat to the excitement of the event when Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District One, State legislators, Polk County officials, NGO representatives, and others met to witness the official ribbon cutting for the newly completed wildlife crossing on I-4. The crossing is located east of the new SR 557 interchange and connects portions of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)’s Hilochee Wildlife Management Area previously bisected by the interstate. The new crossing is located within the Green Swamp Florida Forever Project, an area of approximately 280,000 acres, containing a mosaic of cypress swamps, pine forests, and pastures, and the headwaters of four major river systems. The Green Swamp also provides an important wildlife corridor between the expanding cities of Tampa and Orlando.

The $73 million infrastructure project primarily focused on improving traffic patterns and safety at the interchange of SR 557 and I-4, while also including the construction of the first dedicated wildlife crossing on I-4. The crossing consists of a 61-foot wide, 67-foot long, 8‑foot-high bridge that will allow terrestrial animals ranging from raccoons and white-tailed deer to Florida black bears and Florida panthers, to pass safely underneath the highway above. The crossing also includes a water crossing for smaller aquatic species like turtles, and fish, as well as just over a mile of 10-foot-high fencing along the interstate to help funnel animals to the crossing. The crossing is the first of three proposed wildlife crossings on I-4, one of which will be the first dedicated wildlife overpass.

The State of Florida contains about 60 wildlife crossings and bridges, with most of those located in FDOT Districts One and Five (spanning roughly southwest and central Florida), an area that is home to the only breeding population of Florida panthers, and many of the core subpopulations of Florida black bears. Since its completion in 1965, I-4 has been connecting the state’s east and west coasts as one of the most highly traveled corridors. Wildlife crossings are not only beneficial to animals, but also to humans traveling along roads. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) estimates about 200 people die each year in more than one million vehicle crashes with wildlife. At least two male panthers and multiple black bears have failed to- successfully cross I-4, but wildlife crossings such as this will help to mitigate future wildlife deaths by vehicle collisions.

Johnson Engineering conducted a wildlife crossing re-evaluation project for FDOT District One in 2016, to reassess potential wildlife crossing locations along I-4 in Polk County, including the site that is now the completed crossing. In a separate project for FDOT, Johnson Engineering wildlife biologist, Dr. Jennifer “Jen” Korn, took the lead placing cameras under bridges and wildlife crossings from I-4 to Alligator Alley to monitor for use by Florida panther, Florida black bear, white-tailed deer, and other species that cover large distances and rely on wildlife corridors. Dr. Korn attended the ribbon cutting in June to watch the culmination of all the hard work by FDOT and their partners (construction contractors, engineers, environmental consultants, NGO representatives, and more).

Two of the headliners of this effort were FDOT District One’s Brent Setchell (Drainage Design Engineer) and Nicole Monies (Environmental Permits Coordinator) pictured above. News footage from the ribbon cutting and drone views of the entire wildlife crossing can be viewed at FDOT’s YouTube page at the following link: https://youtu.be/Gug2TWjc0vA?si=aJAQWn6nFQ2U0hXs.

For more information, contact Jen Korn at [email protected].

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CHAMBERLIN PARKWAY IMPROVEMENTS SUPPORT RSW’S SKYPLEX

Chamberlin Parkway was the original gateway to Southwest Florida when the Southwest Florida Regional Airport opened in 1983. The roadway served as the entrance to the original terminal, which was positioned on the north side of the runway with a large parking lot and a loop roadway design for easy movement of the arriving and departing vehicle traffic.  In 2004, the terminal was moved to the current midfield location to meet the needs of the growing community. To better serve the traveling public, Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) is now connected directly to Interstate I-75 by the Terminal Access Road we use today.

The Chamberlin Parkway corridor has transitioned to be the spine of Skyplex, a major economic hub on the north side of the Airport property. Skyplex spans 1,100 acres, with current operations including Alta Resources, Gartner, and Skywalk commercial center, and zoning approvals are in place for additional aviation-related and non-aviation development.

Lee County Port Authority sought to improve conditions of the 40-year old Chamberlin Parkway and contracted with Johnson Engineering to provide planning, design, and permitting services to improve and re-align the corridor. The goal of the re-alignment was to remove old geometric features of the roadway that allowed it to serve as a circulator to and from the old terminal, transforming it into a corridor that meets the needs of Skyplex.

Construction is substantially complete, including a roundabout at the intersection of Skyplex Boulevard, landscaping, utility improvements, lighting, and a stormwater management system designed to accommodate runoff from adjacent development sites. We are proud to have been a part of a project that enhances the driving experience on airport property and contributes to the success of RSW and Skyplex.

For more information contact John Glenn, PE at [email protected].

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