Notorious Traffic Bottleneck in Atlanta Among Two Roads Due for Upgrades

The State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) in Georgia signed off June 26 on two major highway improvement projects, including an interchange west of Atlanta that is ranked among the worst traffic bottlenecks in the nation.

SRTA Board members unanimously approved resolutions authorizing agreements between the authority and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to split oversight of upgrades to intersections along Georgia Highway 316 and an overhaul of the heavily congested Interstate 285/I-20 West interchange.

The Ga. 316 project calls for building seven grade-separated intersections along the busy highway connecting Athens with I-85 in Lawrenceville to improve both traffic flow and safety. The intersections involved in the project are in Barrow and Oconee counties.

The construction will be done through three contracts worth approximately $350 million in total, the LedgerEnquirer reported, with the first one involving two Ga. 316 intersections in Barrow County.