Sandy Springs to Partner with GDOT on I-285 Bridge Enhancement

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Sept. 21, 2021) — The City of Sandy Springs will partner with the Georgia Department of Transportation on enhancements to the bridge at Mount Vernon Highway over I-285.

GDOT will replace the bridge at Mount Vernon Highway as part of the I-285 Westbound Auxiliary Lane Extension from Roswell Road to Riverside Drive. Per current policy, the GDOT bridge replacement would only provide a six-foot sidewalk for pedestrians. The City has requested GDOT include bicycle accommodations and additional pedestrian accommodations beyond the proposed six-foot sidewalk.

Per the Memorandum of Understanding, the City will be responsible for the additional cost of the enhancement features, which is $3,203,000. The funds will need to be paid to GDOT no later than April 30, 2022 and are proposed to be provided by Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax 2021 funds.

“We are excited to continue this ongoing effort as part of our partnership with the Georgia Department of Transportation,” said Mayor Rusty Paul. “It’s important to the citizens of Sandy Springs that our City be a walkable one. When structures like bridges are replaced, we want to make them pedestrian friendly. This is the perfect opportunity to make enhancements that align with the vision our residents have for the City.”

The goal of the enhancements is to include the bicycle accommodations and additional pedestrian accommodations now as part of the I-285 Westbound Auxiliary Lane Extension Project to meet the City’s future needs, and avoid retrofitting the new bridges. Additionally, the enhancement features include pedestrian lighting and decorative elements which provide the City-desired aesthetic elements established in previous bridge enhancement agreements with GDOT.

For information about the City of Sandy Springs, please visit www.sandyspringsga.gov, or call the Citizen Response Center at 770-730-5600. Follow breaking news and traffic alerts on Twitter and community news on Facebook.

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Media Contact:
Jason Fornicola, Communications Director
jfornicola@sandyspringsga.gov
770.206.1473