By GwinnettForum staff
DULUTH, Ga. | State Highway 120 between Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Medlock Bridge Road is to become a four-lane road with a new bridge crossing the Chattahoochee River. GwinnettForum learned this from Curt Thompson, who represents the 7th District on the State Transportation Board.
The funds are a result of a $1.5 billion investment from Gov. Brian Kemp’s amended Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 24) budget recommendation, which was approved by the Georgia General Assembly.
With the additional proposed funding of $62 million, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is set to advance three major projects.
The project focuses on widening Georgia Highway 120/Abbotts Bridge Road from Georgia Highway 141/Medlock Bridge Road to Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, expanding from two lanes to four lanes over a 2.5-mile stretch. This includes improvements on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Parsons Road and Boles Road, along with modifications to all signalized intersections and the reconstruction of the bridge across the Chattahoochee River. Additionally, Georgia Highway 120 in Gwinnett County will also see widening improvements.
Another project is to widen McGinnis Ferry Road from Seven Oaks Parkway to 1,000 feet east of the Big Creek Bridge, covering approximately 2.86 miles. This project will add two lanes in each direction with a 20-foot raised median, featuring a 16-foot urban shoulder with a 10-foot multi-use path on the north side and a 12-foot urban shoulder with 5-foot sidewalks on the south side.
These advancements in McGinnis Ferry Road and Georgia Highway 120, along with the widening of Georgia Highway 120 in Gwinnett County, are essential for addressing our region’s growing transportation needs. These projects will significantly improve mobility and safety across Forsyth, Gwinnett and Fulton counties, fostering better connectivity and supporting the continued growth of our communities.
Georgia continues to benefit from unprecedented economic growth paired with conservative state fiscal management. Increases in population and commercial activity are putting more traffic on our roadways than ever before. The additional funding will enable GDOT and local governments to invest in the state’s transportation infrastructure, helping keep up with higher construction costs in the face of historic inflation and expediting strategic projects across the state.
During the 2024 Legislative Session, Kemp recommended and the Georgia General Assembly appropriated state general funds for $1.5 billion of the budget surplus to support improving the state’s transportation infrastructure by advancing timing for key planned transportation projects and beginning new strategic projects. Funding was appropriated to the programs below and will be allocated by GDOT as noted. They include:
- Airport aid ($98 million), advancing improvements at many general aviation airports.
- Local road fundings ($250 million), a 117 percent increase in state funding for city and county local transportation projects.
- Capital construction ($593 million), an increase of 58 percent for managing cost increases because of inflation, and expediting 24 GDOT projects by a total of 43 years.
- Capital maintenance ($50 million), a new program that includes an increase of 32 percent for resurfacing state highways.
- Freight program ($500 million) a new program that includes 18 projects devoted to freight-carrying infrastructure.
Kemp says: ““Over the last few years, we’ve welcomed unprecedented job creation to all regions of the Peach State, and this funding will ensure our already reliable infrastructure network can meet the needs of that incredible growth.”
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