The man who headed Georgia’s transportation department during a time of explosive growth for metro Atlanta has died. Wayne Shackelford passed away Tuesday afternoon in Atlanta from complications of a lung condition. He was 75.

Shackelford oversaw Georgia’s transportation department for nine years beginning in 1991. His tenure was framed by the expansive roadway projects in and around metro Atlanta built to keep up with the region’s exploding population. That included the implementation of HOV lanes in advance of the 1996 Olympic Games.

Critics of Shackelford’s DOT years point-out his mission to expand roadways came at the expense of mass transit and air quality. Near the end of his tenure, some funds were temporarily frozen by the federal government as the Atlanta-region fell out of compliance with air quality standards.

Shackelford was also a long-time Gwinnett County administrator and businessman. His work included helping to establish infrastructure that set the table for booming growth in the metro Atlanta county.

A Carroll County native and Army veteran, Shackelford is survived by his wife Anna and three children.

Contributors: Susanna Capelouto

Tags: Georgia, Atlanta, Gwinnett County, DOT, Wayne Shackelford