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First Look: The Northside Drive Bridge at Peachtree Creek Project

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The current 3-year joint City of Atlanta/GDOT construction project on Northside Drive is expected to be completed in 2017.  This project has included the City of Atlanta’s Water Transmission Main Replacement Project and GDOT’s improvements along Northside Drive, including the installation of sidewalks on the west side, new curbing, the replacement of the reversible lane with a 2-way turning lane, and traffic improvements at the Collier Road intersection.

Many have wondered about the upcoming Northside Drive bridge reconstruction (which is independent of current construction) and how it will impact their travels to Bitsy Grant. While details are still being decided, the following information about the project has been verified with Brian McHugh, GDOT Bridge Program Project Manager.

Overview

The Northside Drive bridge at Peachtree Creek Project (Project Number: CSBRG-0007-00(174) will have an estimated duration of up to 3 years to complete – beginning in late 2018 and ending in 2020.

First Phase

  • The 1st phase (2018, 9-12 month duration) focuses on the relocation of the utilities along Northside Drive and under a new bridge, with a multi-use trail on top to be constructed east of the Northside Drive bridge.
  • This bridge will be constructed by GDOT (not the PATH Foundation) and will connect to the proposed PATH trail along Woodward Way and Northside Drive.
  • There will be some interruption of Northside Drive traffic during this phase.

Second Phase

  • The 2nd phase (2019, 6-9 month duration) is the reconstruction of the bridge and is expected to CLOSE Northside Drive up to 240 days (8 months).
  • An official GDOT signed, off-site detour (exclusively planned on state routes) is the least costly option while keeping construction time to a minimum.
  • GDOT plans a second Public Information Meeting to explain the detour (date TBA).
  • The bridge is planned to be about 4 1/2 ‘ higher than the existing structure and meets all requirements to help minimize future Peachtree Creek flooding.
  • The project will begin before the Wesley Drive intersection and continue through the Woodward Way/Sagamore Drive intersection.
  • GDOT’s bridge design will not preclude PATH from permitting, funding and building an underpass trail that would connect the proposed 5-foot wide sidewalks around Memorial Park to the PATH trails east of Northside Drive.
  • Consideration will be given to the aesthetic design of the bridge to accommodate the historic nature of the site.
  • Additional pedestrian enhancements are proposed along both sides of the bridge.
  • GDOT will conduct environmental surveys of the project limits to identify any resources that may be impacted.
  • Drainage structures are planned to capture run-off from the elevated roadway.

For more information, view “GDOT – Response to Open House Comments on Northside Drive Bridge (09.09.2016)” on the Atlanta Memorial Park website, and view the following gallery of posters from a March 2016 GDOT presentation about the project: