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NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Dozens of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody residents were on hand July 16 to grasp the scope of the state’s next regional project for Metro Atlanta’s Perimeter.

More than 135 people attended the Georgia Department of Transportation’s open house at Dunwoody City Hall.

Another meeting at City Springs in Sandy Springs July 18 drew equal interest as residents learned more about GDOT’s Top End I-285 Express Lanes project.

There is another massive transportation project around Ga. 400 and I-285 anticipated to begin construction in 2027.

As the Transform I-285/Ga. 400 project wraps up its punch list, GDOT is meeting with residents to get their feedback on the next stage of elevated lanes in one of the most congested corridors in the United States.

The Top End I-285 Express Lanes project significantly expands the Transform project’s flyover ramps and new collector-distributor lanes with two new, barrier-separated express lanes alongside existing general-purpose lanes on the top end of I-285 from Cobb to DeKalb counties.

It also includes elevated lanes through Sandy Springs’ section of Ga. 400, running from Glenridge Connector to the North Springs MARTA station.

The project along I-285 stretches 11 miles through Sandy Springs and 5 miles along Dunwoody’s southern border.

Top End I-285 falls under GDOT’s Major Mobility Investment Program, which focuses on creating additional capacity, improving freight movement, enhancing safety and decreasing travel times on the state’s most congested roadways.

What is coming next

After GDOT officials meet with residents along the corridor to get feedback on draft environmental documents, they will submit feedback on the latest concept design and mitigation measures.

The project is slated for delivery through a public-private partnership (P3) model, which looks to use private sector capital to help fund and finance the work.

Kyle Collins, GDOT’s P3 communications program manager, said the strategy optimizes public funding, while transferring risk to the private entity.

“The amount of state and federal funds required will be a factor in selecting a private partner to develop the project,” Collins said. “Under this agreement, the entity would design, build, finance, operate and maintain.”

GDOT officials said the goal is to submit a final environmental assessment to the Federal Highway Administration for its decision on the project’s proposed design.

Approval from the federal agency would allow procurement for the first phase of the Top End I-285 Express Lanes to begin by the end of 2024, Collins said.

It is unclear if procurement of the project’s first stage will happen before New Year’s.

GDOT officials said the new elevated express lanes will integrate into the state’s Peach Pass system, with the State Road and Toll Authority helping establish rates.

Impacted citizens chime in

Perimeter residents, especially those near the I-285 and Ga. 400 corridors will be some of the most impacted people in Metro Atlanta when construction is anticipated to kick off sometime in 2027.

During virtual open houses, mimicking in-person gatherings at city centers, most questions revolved around the height of elevated lanes, some 50 to 60 feet, and sound walls along the corridor.

There are several Sandy Springs neighborhoods and developments abutting I-285, including Riverwood High School and Allen Road Park, sure to be impacted by construction and new elevated lanes.

Based on GDOT’s traffic analysis, noise abatement is proposed in 30 locations along the entire corridor where barriers would be replaced, extended or constructed.

GDOT Air and Noise Section Manager Miles Kemp noted barriers are based on preliminary information and the findings are subject to change based on design refinements in the future.

Communications manager Kyle Collins said the public-private partnerships accelerate project delivery, provide access to additional capital, enable a longer-term view of asset management and optimize public funds.

If Georgia wants to offer enhanced and expanded mobility options for public and freight transportation, the P3 model may deliver the projects quicker.

Collins said potential private-sector partners are incentivized to ensure performance of the project, since the developer is relying on motorist usage and the resulting revenue to pay for the project.

Elected officials weigh project

At Dunwoody City Hall July 16, Mayor Lynn Deutsch said she’s focused on pushing GDOT to include temporary sound walls during construction of the express lanes, 50-to-60 feet above the existing general-purpose lanes.

Addressing one of the mayor’s concerns, GDOT officials said they will include contract provisions that require the developer to repair affected interstates and local roads to pre-construction conditions.

Deutsch said she expects traffic counts in Dunwoody and along I-285 to continue to increase as the phased project draws closer.

Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the mayor and council members worked to ensure construction on the Chamblee Dunwoody Road bridge is done all at once, rather than staged.

Deutsch said a connection to Peachtree Boulevard (Ga. 141 ) would go a long way to helping with congestion at its intersection with I-285 and throughout Dunwoody.

City Councilman Tom Lambert, echoing comments from other Dunwoody officials, said he’s had significant concerns about the project since 2020, which have since grown as GDOT moves forward with procurement.

Lambert’s primary concerns involve design of the Ga. 141 and I-285 intersection, and the public-private partnership (P3) procurement model chosen to bankroll the project.

“This is one of the most congested highway segments in the entire country, and GDOT's plan not only fails to improve it, but can actually make congestion in this area worse,” Lambert told Appen Media. “I fear this model will lead to decisions on this project being made to prioritize profit over function, which can have long-term negative consequences.”