Rucker Road To Reopen Friday In Alpharetta

ALPHARETTA, GA — Another construction project that forced the city of Alpharetta to close a major thoroughfare has hit a significant milestone, as Rucker Road is expected to reopen to motorists Friday evening.

The city said Tuesday the road will likely reopen after the Aug. 3 evening commuting period. Rucker Road has been closed since May 29 so a bridge could be replaced and other work perform as part of a large construction project.

“The goal was to have Rucker ready for buses and commuters when school begins on Monday,” said Alpharetta Public Works Director Pete Sewczwicz. “In spite of a very rainy summer and some challenges with utility relocations, we will meet that goal and fulfill the promise made to our residents.”

Sewczwicz said crews will spend the rest of this week finishing catch basins, removing construction and other debris from the road, and cutting weeds and grass along the right-of-way. Where new asphalt has been laid, new lane striping will be completed unless rain prevents that and temporary striping has to be applied instead.

“Basically, the next few days are about housekeeping and making the road driver ready,” he said.

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Construction activity will continue on Rucker Road through next year as Alpharetta completes improvements that have been planned since 2013. Those plans were created over several months of meetings with residents of neighborhoods along the corridor and are based upon their preferences and goals.

“The corridor residents were clear in their expectation that Rucker be a tree-lined residential collector that feels safe and can be easily accessed from their neighborhoods,” Sewczwicz explained. “They wanted the road kept to two travel lanes, vehicle speeds reduced, and better pedestrian facilities. Plain and simple; they wanted a road designed for residents, not for commuters, and that is what we are building.”

There is still a lot of work to be done to complete the project, however. A second bridge must be replaced on the eastern end of the road, roundabouts must be constructed at Charlotte Drive and at Fairfax Drive/Dennis Drive, new sidewalks built, median constructed at key intersections, and the entire road repaved literally from the ground up. While much of that work can be done with the road open, some construction activity will require Rucker Road to be closed again next year from May 28, 2019, until a few days before the start of the 2019-20 school year.

Sewczwicz warns residents that the Rucker Road corridor will remain active construction area until the end of 2019, so you should expect slower commute times, occasional lane closures and an unattractive view over the next several months.

"We also anticipate that many commuters from neighboring communities will avoid Rucker during this time, which will have impacts on other roads," he added.

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