Gwinnett County has selected a Nashville-based firm to design and build a new bridge and new highway entrance and exit lanes at the intersection of Interstate 85 at Gravel Springs Road.
The interchange will include four new ramps between the existing Ga. 20/Buford Drive and Hamilton Mill Road interchanges. The project is slated for late 2018 or 2019, and will divert traffic that currently backs up at the Hamilton Mill Road and Buford Drive exits.
Gwinnett has committed $8 million in SPLOST funds to buy the land and engineer the project. State and federal matching funds will provide another $10 million for construction.
“This new project will not only allow for more direct access to the interstate but will also create a safer commuting environment for the residents of Buford and Northeastern Gwinnett County,” Jody Braswell, senior transportation engineer with Gresham, Smith and Partners said in a press release.
The project will improve access to I-85 in northeastern Gwinnett County and improve access to the Mall of Georgia area. Alleviating congestion should also result in fewer wrecks in that area.
Gresham, Smith and Partners is currently working on several other in-state projects, including, the Ga. 15 Bypass in Sandersville, traffic forecasting consulting services for Georgia Department of Transportation offices in metro Atlanta and Northwest Georgia, as well as projects in Roswell, Gwinnett County, Cobb County, Laurens County, Douglas County, Lowndes County.
