NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Over the next couple of weeks, parts of GA 400 will see occasional lane and shoulder closures as the Georgia Department of Transportation sets the stage for future construction on express lanes.
The new express lanes, which Channel 2 Action News first told you about in August, will run 16 miles from the North Springs MARTA station into Forsyth County.
Two lanes in each direction will run from the North Springs MARTA station to McGinnis Ferry Road, and one lane in each direction will run from McGinnis Ferry to just north of McFarland Parkway.
But GDOT tells Channel 2’s Michael Doudna says any closures you see in that area for now are part of its planning stages.
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“We see about 270,000 cars a day on SR 400, and we know in the future, that’s going to be 350,000 a day,” GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said.
Some single lanes have been closed nightly for the last week as workers do Geotech work to plan ahead.
Under the current plan, private companies would cover the $4.6 billion construction cost, pay $4 billion to the state and cover maintenance. In exchange, they would get 50 years of the Peach Pass user fees for those lanes.
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There is no word on how much the private companies expect to make, but the hope from the state is that it can be mutually beneficial for everyone.
“When motorists choose to use the express lane system, then it frees up space in the managed lanes, so it frees up space for all users,” GDOT spokesperson Natalie Dale said.
If private companies shell out $8.6 billion for construction and payments to the state, they’ll need to get $172 million a year for each of the 50 years they would get Peach Pass fees to recoup their money.
The plan calls for construction to begin as early as August and be complete in 2031.
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