Sun Valley Drive Extension Opens In Roswell

ROSWELL, GA — The city of Roswell on Thursday celebrated the opening of Sun Valley Drive Extension with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The road, which is now open to vehicular traffic, establishes a new route for motorists traveling from Mansell Road to Highway 9. It's designed to help alleviate traffic at the S.R. 9/Alpharetta Highway intersection with Mansell Road.

The project extends the existing road from Highway 9 east to Warsaw Road, and includes intersection improvements, as well as a new single-lane roundabout. The new road extension is a “complete street” with 11-foot travel lanes, 4-foot bicycle lanes, 5-foot sidewalks on the southern side and an 8-foot multi-use path on the northern side.

“We focused on mobility, but we also focused on people and livability, not just moving cars,” said Steve Acenbrak, director of Transportation, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This project is what we call a ‘complete street.’ It accommodates bikes, cars, and pedestrians. It improves mobility, improves water quality, improves recreational alternatives, and improves the economic viability of this area.”

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Before starting construction on the road extension, Roswell completed several stormwater improvements, including upgrading an existing detention pond and creating two water treatment cells to enhance water quality and detention before the water reaches Foe Killer Creek.

The project was constructed by Vertical Earth, Inc., and cost approximately $4.3 million. Funding was provided by a combination of the city's bond referendum approved by Roswell voters in November 2012, impact fees and the city’s General Fund.

Images via city of Roswell