GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Traffic on one of Gwinnett’s worst bottlenecks could ease up once a new multimillion-dollar project is done.
But some people told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson they were hoping it would cover more ground.
“Hectic, busy, congestion, congested, chaotic,” Russ Davis said, who lives near Scenic Highway. “I’ve lived over here in Snellville for the last 25 years, and so I’ve watched all of this grow, and the traffic is horrendous.”
That growth is exactly why the Georgia Department of Transportation and Gwinnett County want to widen Scenic Highway, as traffic tests people’s patience – and their brakes.
The $56 million GDOT plan calls for adding a third lane each way between Highway 78 and Ronald Reagan Parkway.
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The 1.3-mile project includes a 16-foot raised median, signal priority for transit buses, and separate paths for walkers and cyclists.
GDOT said the stretch sees more rear-end crashes than the state average and stop-and-go conditions make it worse.
“You have people who will run a light and rush a light,” said Myrna McIntosh.
Traffic counts are nearing 48,000 cars a day now and could hit 61,000 within 25 years.
Some wonder if the plan goes far enough.
“They should keep widening for all the buses around here, all the people, and congestion,” Davis said. “They need to, all the way to Sugarloaf (Parkway).”
Construction is set to begin in 2029 and will last two years—a long wait for drivers who’ve already waited long enough.
“I’m hoping for the best,” McIntosh said.
GDOT is getting started pitching the plan to the public. It will host an open house from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, at Sunrise Baptist Church on Sugarloaf Parkway.
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