Georgia DOT announces roadway work will begin overnights next week on the project to remove the reversible lane system and widen US 78 in Gwinnett County.

“This project is going to be built in sections. The work will begin at the west end of the project. The first section is West Park Place to Stone Drive Work. Crews will only be working in this section and will begin overnight Sunday, 17^th.  Work hours are 7:00pm overnight to 5:00am the next morning. We will start with restriping and taking down the overhead signs. The reversible lanes will be REMOVED from East Park Place/West Park Place to Stone Drive overnight Wednesday. Thursday morning there will be TWO lanes headed eastbound and THREE headed westbound and a center turning lane in the section from West Park Place to Stone Drive. As work begins in each section the reversible lanes will be removed. Crews will work nightly if weather permits; closing the outside eastbound lane from East Park Place/West Park Place to Stone Drive. Once the eastbound work is complete work will shift to closing the outside westbound lane in this section. This overnight work schedule will continue each night that weather permits until Laser Show Season begins at Stone Mountain Park. Once the Laser Show starts lane closures will not be allowed Friday or Saturday nights,” explained Russell McMurry, DOT District Engineer.

The projected completion date is November 30, 2009 and its cost is over $31 million. Once work nears completion in one section crews will begin work in the next section moving eastward along US 78. The first section if East Park Place/West Park Place to Stone Drive, the next section is Stone Drive to Killian Hill Road, then Killian Hill Road to Highpoint Road and finally Highpoint Road to SR 124. The project is removing the reversible lane system and rebuilding US 78 to three lanes in each direction with a raised concrete median and sidewalks along both sides of the road.

Georgia DOT urges travelers to call 511 for updated information about this project. Georgia 511 is a free phone service that provides real-time traffic and travel information statewide, such as traffic conditions, incidents, lane closures, construction, and delays due to bad weather. Callers can also reach live operators to request assistance or report incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More information is available at www.511ga.org. Georgia 511 – we’ll get you there.