An unveiling ceremony was held Wednesday to officially open a new stretch of roadway in Hall County, not far from the Allen Creek Soccer Complex.
James Simpson Boulevard now connects Fullenwider Road and Allen Creek Road on the south side of Gainesville, and was named after a longtime Gainesville business leader who passed away in December 2021.
James Simpson was the founder and owner of Simpson Trucking and Grading Inc., which was founded in the early 1980s.
“Since 1984, Simpson Trucking and Grading has worked on many projects in Gainesville, Hall County and beyond,” said Mayor Sam Couvillon. “Projects like the Gainesville 85 Business Park that required a significant amount of earth-moving are their specialty."
Gainesville officials said that the idea to name the roadway after Simpson first came to Mayor Couvillon and the Gainesville City Council as they oversaw progress being made on the aforementioned business park.
Wednesday's ceremony featured a number of Simpson's friends, family and peers on-hand, and officials said the news that the roadway would carry Simpson's name was well-received.
“They were honored,” said Gainesville Department of Water Resources Director Linda MacGregor.
Public Relations Director Christina Santee said that future plans for expanding the roadway are already in the works.
“The project to extend James Simpson Boulevard to U.S. Route 129 South will be under construction this summer," she said, noting that the project has already been awarded to Simpson Trucking and Grading
