November 2012
Fort Benning Gateway Honors U.S. Army Men and Women
The Fort Benning Gateway in Columbus, Ga., was designed to honor the men and women serving at one of the largest military facilities in the nation, including members of the infantry, who have called Fort Benning their home since 1940, as well as the U.S. Army Armor School, which has been located at the base since 2010.
The project sits at the entrance to the base and the design draws extensively from military thematic elements, including replicas of famous statues. Honoring the infantry is an 8-ft-tall bronze replica of the "Follow Me" statue鈥攄epicting Iron Mike charging forward. Also standing 8 ft tall, the 10,000-lb replica of Frederick Remington's "Trooper of the Plains" salutes the U.S. Army Armor School. Sculpted out of bronze in Colorado, both statues were placed atop 50-ft-tall precast towers comprised of four columns and precast concrete banding.
As visitors exit Fort Benning, they are bid farewell by a pair of 8-ft-tall bald eagles, also sculpted of bronze.
The project was constructed within the interchange of Victory Drive and Interstate 185, and included a bridge enhancement and corresponding landscaping. Architectural elements were included to hide the existing bridges while four precast towers were located at each corner of the bridge.
Key Players in the Project:
Owner: Columbus Gateways Foundation, Columbus, Ga.
Contractor: Batson-Cook Construction, West Point, Ga.
Designer: Gullatte Associates, Columbus, Ga.
Civil Engineer: Wright Engineering, Columbus, Ga.
Specialty Contractor: Archer Western Co., Atlanta
Precast Contractor: Metromont, Atlanta