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Ga. 400 closing for bike ride
Event to benefit the Georgia Transplant Foundation
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ROSWELL – Be a part of history as Ga. 400 is temporarily shut down Sunday, July 12 for the inaugural "Hospitality Highway Century" to benefit the Georgia Transplant Foundation (GTF).
Cyclists will get the southbound lanes all to themselves to start a 100-mile tour of North Fulton's six cities – Roswell, Sandy Springs, Mountain Park, Alpharetta, Milton and Johns Creek. Registered riders will promptly start at 6:30 a.m. from the former Home Depot parking lot in Roswell, at the intersection of Holcomb Bridge Road and Market Boulevard.
From there they will pedal their way down Ga. 400 from exit 7 (Holcomb Bridge Road) to exit 6 (Northridge). Cyclists will then wind through the six cities and other scenic areas of north Fulton County.
The route includes rest stops, complete with bathrooms, full technical support and a variety of snacks and drinks. Whether riders take the 9-mile "I Did It" ride or the 35-mile, 62-mile or 100-mile options, this event promises to be filled with fun, excitement and the opportunity to say, "I closed down 400!"
Roswell Mayor Jere Wood, an avid cyclist, said he plans to be there for the "whole hundred." While some cyclists will finish in four or five hours, he estimated his tour would be in the eight- or nine-hour range.
For most, the ride will not be a race.
"These rides become a social thing. Road biking is a social, not a solitary event," Wood said.
Dotty Etris, executive director of the Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau, said participants should start promptly if they wish to ride on Ga. 400 at the beginning.
"The Department of Transportation is not going to let us close [southbound] Ga. 400 for very long, even on a Sunday morning," Etris said.
Only registered cyclists ready to go at 6:30 a.m. will be able to ride on Ga. 400 during the specific window of time allotted by the Department of Transportation. The early bird registration fee of $35 will be in effect until July 3 for all route options. The fee rises to $40 if received after July 3, including the day of the event.
Registration includes a T-shirt, food, water and full technical support along the way. The ride is open to anyone 14 or older. To register for the "Hospitality Highway Century," visit 400century.com or contact Kristin Stanley at 678-514-1187 or kstanley@gatransplant.org.
The Ga. Transplant Foundation is excited about teaming up with the cities of Roswell, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Milton and Alpharetta, said David Bakelman, executive director of the GTF.
"The funds raised through the Hospitality Highway Century will help us provide essential services to Georgia's organ transplant community," he said.
Founded in Atlanta in 1992, the Georgia Transplant Foundation is a non-profit organization providing financial, educational and emotional support to transplant candidates, recipients, living donors and their families throughout the state of Georgia.
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