2007-03-29 TOP STORIES
Ga. 400 lanes open Perdue's 1st Fast Forward project completed
by Bob Pepalis	write the author
(BOB PEPALIS/Herald) Forsyth County Commission Chairman Charlie Laughinghouse, right, bends the ear of Mike Evans, chairman of the Georgia Department of Transportation board after Ga. 400 ribbon-cutting. (click for larger version) April 02, 2007 Gov. Sonny Perdue took a drive up Ga. 400 March 29 to celebrate the first big success of his $15.5 billion Fast Forward program that added lanes to North Fulton and Forsyth counties' main north-south corridor. Perdue joined other state, county and local officials at the Mansell Road MARTA Park & Ride just before the start of the day's late afternoon rush hour. "Not only were we able to start construction years earlier than originally planned, this project is being opened to traffic months earlier than we thought possible," the governor said. In April 2004, Perdue announced the Fast Forward program, which was designed to relieve congestion in Metro Atlanta and promote economic development throughout the state. The program funds short-term congestion relief projects such as traffic signalization, ramp meters and additional HERO units, as well as accelerating schedules for major construction projects such as these additional lanes on Georgia 400 and the ongoing interchange project at Interstate 85 and State Route 316. Fast Forward's impact already had been felt with the opening of lanes on Ga. 400 between Windward Parkway and Holcomb Bridge Road. One northbound lane was added between Holcomb Bridge and Haynes Bridge roads, with two lanes added northbound from Haynes Bridge to Windward. Motorists now have four lanes for through traffic from I-285 until just before reaching the McFarland Road exit. The added lanes were needed because Georgia has a "problem" of prosperity, Perdue said. Heavy traffic has been the result. But bringing improvements to the Ga. 400 corridor will make a positive difference to commuters traveling through North Fulton. "While there is a great quality of life here, it greatly diminishes while sitting in traffic," Perdue said. That will boost economic development efforts in this part of Metro Atlanta, Perdue said. Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl reminded the state, county and local officials who attended a ribbon cutting next to Ga. 400 at the Mansell Park and Ride that more is to come. "This is the first major construction project in Fast Forward – that we've completed," Linnenkohl said. The newly-widened northbound section of Ga. 400 between Windward Parkway and McFarland Road opened March 26, with the southbound lanes on that section of highway scheduled to have opened April 2. In a distance just less than three miles, Fast Forward has added one lane north and south. Traffic can travel north on four lanes from north of I-285 to just south of McFarland Road. Between Windward and McFarland the inside left lane will drop, while the outside right lane will become an exit only lane as traffic nears McFarland. Southbound traffic has three lanes of travel from McFarland to Holcomb Bridge, and four lanes south from there to I-285. Archer Western Contractors LTD completed the construction at a cost of $47.6 million, months earlier than the scheduled September completion date. As crews install overhead sign structures and complete work on concrete median barriers, some lane closures may occur. While off-roadway work continues, the bus transit shoulder lanes both northbound and southbound between Holcomb Bridge and Windward will remain closed. Sound barrier installation at several locations still needs to be competed, which should be done by the end of the year.

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