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I-85/Ga. 316 interchange project nears early completion

By Staff
Posted 10:16AM on Monday 20th October 2008 ( 16 years ago )
DULUTH - The Georgia Department of Transportation announced Monday that the $147 million reconstruction of the Interstate 85/State Route 316 interchange is set to be completed next week - more than two months ahead of schedule.

Weather permitting, work will be completed by Wednesday morning on the final two miles of the northbound I-85 high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane from Sugarloaf Parkway to State Route 317 (Lawrenceville/Suwanee Road), as will striping of a new, two-mile northbound auxiliary lane from Old Peachtree Road to SR 317.

"This auxiliary lane will give motorists more room to merge on and off the interstate," District Engineer Russell McMurry said. "We anticipate opening both the new HOV lane and the auxiliary lane by 6 a.m. Wednesday."

Final paving work on the project - a top layer of asphalt on I-85 NB from Pleasant Hill Road to SR 317 - is scheduled to begin Wednesday night and continue (overnights only) until Saturday morning. It will necessitate nightly closures of from one to three NB lanes beginning at 9 p.m., and continuing until 6 a.m. the following morning. This top layer of asphalt will smooth out the roadway and prevent standing water. Motorists are advised to exercise caution when proceeding through the work zone.

"Once this driving surface is finished, the project will be finished - more than two months ahead of its scheduled Dec. 31 completion date," McMurry said. "It should dramatically improve both traffic flow and safety and we very much appreciate the public's patience while construction has been underway."

The opening of these final lanes on the project completes many years of planning by both Georgia DOT and Gwinnett County, which provided the engineering and land acquisition using county sales tax funds to move the project forward.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/10/214422

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