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JOHNS CREEK, GA -- After numerous instances in which police in north Fulton County have cited motorists for unlawfully traveling in the S.R. 400 flex lanes during prohibited hours, the Georgia Department of Transportation will step in to help crack down on the problem.
The agency said it will start construction in 2017 on new "dynamic" signs on the Hospitality Highway. The project is expected to cost about $5 million and take a year to complete, weather permitting, said GDOT spokesperson Annalyse Baker.
The signs will start at Abernathy Road in Sandy Springs to Mansell Road in Roswell, and pick up again at S.R. 120/Old Milton Parkway to Windward Parkway in Alpharetta.
The new signs will have a green arrow to signify that motorists can use the lanes and a red X to inform drivers that the lane is closed. The existing signs will be removed once the new ones are in place, she added.
"The new signs will provide more flexibility for motorists," Baker said. "However, the public should keep in mind that according to state law we can still only use the lanes up to 8 hours a day."
Last week, the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety posted on its Facebook page about another incident involving a motorist using the flex lane outside the designated hours. The result? A collision involving serious injuries, the agency said.
The flex shoulder lanes originally opened Spring 2012 on S.R. 400 southbound. In April 2015, GDOT extended the morning hours to 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and the afternoon hours to 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Motorists are advised to drive cautiously while driving on the flex shoulder lanes. Motorists should not exceed the posted 45-mile per hour shoulder lane advisory speed limit.
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Image via Georgia DOT
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