Atlas’ Francis Mouafong, PE, MBA is a Senior Project Manager at Atlas and currently works as a Construction Quality Assurance Manager on Georgia’s I-285/I-20 East Interchange project. He shares why he loves working as an engineer, helping oversee the various aspects of transportation systems that play such an important role in connecting people.
Engineers play a critical role in helping communities flourish by creating the systems that connect people. Nowhere is that impact more visible than in the transportation industry. Thoughtfully designed roads, bridges, transit systems, trails and other transportation networks form the backbone of a thriving community.
For Atlas’ Francis Mouafong, engineering is about more than just building roads or seeing that specifications are met on paper. To him, engineering is an act of stewardship and a commitment to creating environments where people can flourish and communities can thrive. Throughout his career, Francis has contributed to several high‑impact transportation projects across Georgia, including:
- I‑285/I‑20 East Interchange project, a major mobility project being done for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) that involves reconstructing the I-285/I-20 East Interchange ramps with more direct alignments, constructing new lanes, adding auxiliary lanes, replacing bridges and constructing new noise barriers.
- Harbins Road Interchange project, an interchange project that involved bridges, box culvert extensions, retaining walls, ramps, storm drainage, grading, graded aggregate base (GAB) placement, asphalt paving, concrete flatwork, traffic signal installation and more.
- Northwest Corridor project, a transformative design-build regional mobility initiative that consisted of building 30 miles of reversible toll lanes and the construction of bridges and walls.
- Gwinnett County SPLOST Road Program, a program that is designed to support the county’s growing population and address its infrastructure needs.
These projects not only improve travel efficiency—they increase economic opportunity, enhance safety and reduce congestion for millions of commuters.
In his current role as Construction Quality Assurance Manager on Georgia’s I-285/I-20 East Interchange project, Francis is helping to see that one of the state’s busiest and most complex transportation upgrades is built to the highest standards. When completed, this transformative project aims to improve traffic flow and safety at what has long been considered one of the region’s most congested bottlenecks.
Safeguarding quality on such a project means that Francis sees that designs are implemented correctly, safety standards are met, future failures are avoided and the impacted infrastructure remains accessible to everyone.
A Commitment to Growth, Learning and Leadership
With more than 33 years of roadway and bridge construction experience, Francis has learned many lessons along the way and honed his leadership style. Today, he carries forward a key lesson on every project. Projects might look similar, but they are different. You cannot simply ‘copy and paste’ because a one size fits all solution does not always solve the problem. Rather, engineers must adapt to the specifics of each one.
This mindset reflects his dedication to thoughtful, context‑driven engineering. It also informs how he mentors others. Francis is grateful for the supervisors who have helped shape his career, and he truly understands the importance of paying it forward to engineers just starting out. Leadership, to Francis, is not about titles—it’s about integrity, ownership and a commitment to excellence for the sake of the communities served.
Through Francis’ technical expertise, principled leadership and a deep sense of responsibility, his work as an engineer is about bridging gaps:
- Between design and implementation.
- Between present needs and future resilience.
- Between infrastructure and the people it serves.
His work ensures that communities are not just connected—but empowered to flourish and thrive. For Francis, “Bridging the Gap” is not a metaphor—it is a daily responsibility. He describes it as the essential work of aligning plans, specifications and field conditions during construction to ensure that what is designed is what is faithfully and safely delivered.
This alignment matters because infrastructure is more than concrete and steel—it directly shapes the lived experience of communities. The integrity of a bridge, road or interchange impacts safety, mobility and access. Ensuring that designs translate accurately into reality is how Francis helps close the gap between vision and impact.
Francis Mouafong, PE, MBA
Senior Project Manager
Francis Mouafong, PE, MBA is a Senior Project Manager at Atlas. He currently serves as the Construction Quality Assurance Manager on Georgia’s I-285/I-20 East Interchange project. With more than 33 years of experience working on roadway and bridge construction projects, Francis has contributed to the Clayton County and Gwinnett County resurfacing programs and Gwinnett County’s Capital Improvements Program. He received his Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Yaounde in Cameroon and his Master of Business Administration from Kennesaw State University in 2013.