GA-400, I-285 Reconstruction Project Gets Notice To Proceed

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SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- The Georgia Department of Transportation on Monday issued the official notice to proceed to North Perimeter Contractors for aspects of work related to the I-285/S.R. 400 improvement project.

A full financial close was reached on Friday, April 8 between the developers, Georgia DOT and the State Road and Tollway Authority, which completes the final step in bringing the project into fruition.

Total project cost, including right of way acquisition, preliminary engineering, conceptual designs, environmental studies and other costs, is estimated to be around $800 million.

"Improved accessibility all around the metro Atlanta area is vital for the region’s growth," said Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul. "This is critically needed project, and we are excited to support GDOT in this endeavor." 

The North Perimeter Contractor’s team includes Ferrovial Agroman US Corp., The Louis Berger Group and Neel-Schaffer, Inc.

The notice to proceed allows final design work, final right of way acquisition, scheduling and community outreach to begin. Groundbreaking for heavy construction activities is anticipated later this year.

“This interchange is one of the busiest and most critical ones in the metro area," Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said. "The improvements we are making as part of this project will improve mobility of motorists and goods through our region.”

Over 420,000 vehicles travel through this Sandy Springs corridor every day. Located at the nexus of two vital freeways and a MARTA rail line, this interchange serves one of the region’s largest employment areas and is a major connection for the freight distribution of goods throughout Georgia.

The project will provide enhancements to these roadways that improve safety and facilitate better traffic flow to accommodate the high volume of travelers passing through it each day. Those improvements include:

• About four miles of improvements beginning one mile west of Roswell Road and ending just east of Ashford Dunwoody Road on I-285;
• Roughly five miles of improvements from just south of the Glenridge Connector north to the Spalding Drive area on S.R. 400;
• Construction of barrier-separated collector-distributor lanes along I-285 and S.R. 400 to help reduce weaving, merging and accelerating/decelerating conflict;
• Reconstruction of the Abernathy Road interchange;
• Replacement of the bridge at Mt. Vernon Highway;
• Reconstruction of existing ramps and bridges in the interchange area;
• New flyover bridges; and
• New connections to I-285 and existing interchanges.

"We applaud the innovation and leadership of Commissioner McMurry and his team at Georgia DOT," said Yvonne Williams, CEO and President of the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts. "This new design-build-finance model for constructing the I-285/SR 400 interchange, as well as related miles of collector/distributor lanes, is bringing this major capital investment project to Georgia at a very competitive cost."

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