ATLANTA, GA – The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the first phase of the I-85 Widening Project on July 25. The project is the first of an initial 11 Major Mobility Investment Program (MMIP) projects to break ground.
Governor Nathan Deal; Georgia DOT State Transportation Board Chairman Jamie Boswell, Congressional District 10; State Transportation Board Member Rudy Bowen, Congressional District 7; Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry, P.E.; and Randall Pugh, who represents the 9th Congressional District on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, were among those in attendance along with local officials. Remarks and groundbreaking occurred at the 2 p.m. event, held at the Braselton Event Center located at 5257 Highway 53 in Braselton, Georgia.
“In recent years, thousands of new citizens have come to Georgia to find the opportunities and quality of life indicative of the No. 1 state for business,” Governor Deal said. “This rapid population growth requires transportation infrastructure that moves products and people more quickly and efficiently. Thanks to the General Assembly’s bold action in passing the Transportation Funding Act in 2015, we are now able to begin this first MMIP project, an unprecedented and innovative step to significantly improve Georgia’s transportation network for its users. I also appreciate the work of the State Transportation Board in seeing one of the nation’s largest infrastructure undertakings come to fruition. Today, we ensure that the initiatives we have put into place over these last seven and a half years will continue into the next decade to benefit generations of Georgians yet to come.”
The I-85 Widening Project, constructed in two phases, will increase capacity by adding a third driving lane in each direction utilizing the existing median along a 24-mile stretch of highway from the I-985 interchange in Gwinnett County to Highway 129 in Jackson County. The first phase will occur between I-985 and just north of State Road 53 in Gwinnett, Barrow, and Jackson counties. The project also includes three overpass bridge replacements along the corridor and one northbound and one southbound mainline bridge replacement. The project is anticipated to help reduce overall future delay in the corridor by up to 56 percent.
“Georgia DOT is making a major investment in the state’s roadway transportation network to meet regional needs and deliver positive results to drivers,” Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry said. “The widening of I-85 and the other MMIP projects together expand Georgia’s transportation infrastructure, helping form a more connected transportation network.”
Together, the 11 initial major mobility projects will add over 300 new lane miles in Georgia’s metro areas. They also will create additional capacity, improve the movement of freight, provide operational improvements and efficiencies, enhance safety, and decrease travel times. When complete, the projects will lead to a five percent reduction in delay and provide travel time savings in the year 2030, as compared to doing nothing over the next decade.
Construction for the first phase of I-85 widening is anticipated to be completed in 2021.
Additional information about the first phase of the I-85 Widening Project can be found athttp://www.dot.ga.gov/BS/Projects/SpecialProjects/I85WideningI985SR53. More information about the Georgia DOT’s MMIP initiative can be found at http://www.dot.ga.gov/IS/MMIP.