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A present
for Highway 316 drivers:
learning that relief is due in 5 years
By
Elliott Brack
editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com
DEC. 21, 2001 -- Remember when you were smaller, and your anticipation
of Christmas? It seemed that the day would neeeeeeever, ever come.
Not days, but eons it seemed, passed before the day rolled around.
For motorists on Georgia Highway 316 heading into Atlanta each
morning, the day that relief eventually comes to the crowded traffic
conditions must seem as far away as a kid's Christmas.
But here's your present this year from GwinnettForum: relief from
the crowded traffic conditions of Highway 316 is actually on the
way---at least some relief for mornings, at I-85.
The flip side may be that by the time the relief gets here, traffic
may have built to the point that you don't recognize the improvement.
We remember five or six years ago when engineering of the roadway
between Pleasant Hill Road and Old Peachtree Road was complete.
We were amazed to learn a total of 14 bridges and numerous tunnels
were to be built or modified in this stretch of I-85.
Here's an update on that total project. So far, half of the bridges
are already in place, the primary ones being over I-85 at Sugarloaf
Parkway, Highway 120 and the Boggs Road bridge. There were also
parallel road bridges and tunnels on collector routes (as they call
'em) along I-85 at all three locations.
Altogether, that long range plan a few years back had a four phases
program of work. Recently the Georgia Department of Transportation
let construction on the third phase. All these are aimed at smoother
and safer movement of interchanges traffic on I-85.
Phase 1 revolved around the Sugarloaf interchange, while Phase
2 centered on Highway 120. with their related collector roads.
The upcoming third phase will widen the Old Peachtree Road bridge
and its improve its approaches. It's expected to be completed in
two years.
Then comes the biggie in this pie, the final section of work on
re-construction of the Highway 316-Interstate 85 interchange.
As Jane LeMaster of Gwinnett DOT explains, "The project will
improve the interchange so that Highway 316 traffic will merge onto
southbound I-85 from the right lanes, as opposed to the left lanes
as we now do." It'll be done with a flyover bridge at I-85.
She continues: "In addition to allowing merging traffic into
the slower lanes, this improvement will help cut down on the 'weaving'
movement seen as drivers get onto I-85 and immediately start crossing
lanes to exit at Pleasant Hill Road. Like the other sections of
all this roadwork, this phase will also extend the collection distributor
system southward to tie into the interchange with Pleasant Hill
Road."
Funding for this final phase will be spread over several years.
Right of way acquisition becomes available in Fiscal Year 2002,
with funding for construction in FY 2004. Work is expected to be
complete on this project----get this, are you ready?---work will
be complete in 2005-6, or in other words, in about five years at
best.
That's waiting a long time to open a present, eh? That's no immediate
relief. But work is underway on the final phase of major project,
and if you can hold on a few more.....er, years....you'll get a
mighty big present to last 365 days a year, make motoring safer
around the I-85-316 interchange, and calm our tempers while out
driving.
* * * * *
Now, to all GwinnettForum readers, enjoy your holiday with your
loved ones and have a wonderful Christmas in 2001.
FEEDBACK
12/21:Supporter
responds to article about Reps. Linder, Barr
Editor, the Forum:
I have to take issue with your characterization of the Congressional
campaign in the new 7th District. Your column of Dec. 14 was misleading
at best and downright erroneous at worst. I believe your readers
deserve to have an accurate portrayal of the current campaign.
First, Congressman Linder is devoting as much energy and enthusiasm
to this campaign as Bob Barr is. While Barr is spending the bulk
of his time getting to know folks in the 82 percent of the new district
he has never represented, including Gwinnett, Linder has been spending
a great deal of time meeting folks in Cherokee, Forsyth, Paulding
and Bartow Counties. Linder has held town hall meetings in these
areas, gotten to know business and community leaders, and joined
in festivities and parades. While he will obviously be spending
a lot of time on the campaign trail in Gwinnett, it only makes sense
for him to meet all those who don't know him as well as those in
Gwinnett do.
Secondly, your information about Linder's website was not correct.
On his official website, www.house.gov/linder, the Congressman has
posted no fewer than 37 news items since Sept. 12, including items
on obtaining federal funds for Gwinnett's transit system and a Gwinnett
neighborhood, notices regarding speaking engagements in Gwinnett,
and meetings he held in Washington that included Gwinnett constituents.
The Linder campaign website, www.votelinder.org, includes no fewer
than 13 news items since Oct. 23, including releases about the 10
Gwinnett legislators and six Gwinnett mayors who endorsed his re-election
bid and his appearance in the Old Town Lilburn Christmas Parade.
In any case, no rational person could believe that because Linder
is not issuing a press release every time he holds a meeting in
Gwinnett that he is not campaigning there.
Unlike some, Linder does not crave the media spotlight.
Additionally, allow me to answer your query "while Linder tells
people that he's leading in the polls, you wonder who is doing his
poll." Zogby International, that's who. The Zogby firm is arguably
the most respected polling organization in the nation, as it was
the only national polling firm to catch the movement of the popular
vote toward Al Gore in last year's presidential election, and Zogby's
final 1996 presidential poll was more accurate than any other major
media poll.
Zogby's 7th District poll shows Linder not only with a significant
lead in Gwinnett, but a 13-point lead overall in the new district.
Finally, I would like to address an error in your "Special
Report" regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) funding bill that Congressman Linder introduced. You report
that as of Thursday, Dec. 13, Mr. Barr had not been added as a co-sponsor
of the bill. This is false. Mr. Barr was added to the bill on Tuesday,
Dec. 11.
Thank you for this opportunity to respond to the inaccuracies of
your recent column.
-- B. J. VanGundy, Norcross
Dear BJ: Thanks for your feedback. Those Web sites had not been
updated when I saw them.--eeb
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
From Harry S Truman
"I would rather have peace in the world than be President."
-- Harry S Truman, president's Christmas Message, Dec. 24, 1948,
Independence, Missouri.
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