Historic Gateway Transportation Project Meeting Is Set For Thursday

Roswell city officials are going the extra mile to ensure adequate public input on the Historic Gateway Transportation Project.

Three public information meetings have already been held and another is scheduled for Thursday in the Brantley Seymour Activity Building behind First Baptist Church of Roswell on Mimosa Boulevard. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.

On Monday, the Historic Gateway Project Team briefed the media on where the project currently stands.

Johnathan Reid, a regional manager with Parsons Brinckerhoff, an Atlanta-based engineering firm that oversees the project, said 500 area residents were surveyed and the overwhelming response was that the project is badly needed.

"People said the area is so badly congested we agree that spending a limited amount of money is a good idea."

The purpose of the project is to improve safety along Atlanta Street between Marietta Highway and Riverside/Azalea streets, the corridor with the highest accident rate in the city, by removing the reversible lanes and installing two, dual-lane roundabouts.

City officials also hope to promote economic sustainability and business development in that area and replace the structurally deficient Riverside Road bridge over Vickery Creek.

Reid said previous public meetings have been well attended. "The public feels engaged. We've had between 60 and 100 people at each meeting."

Public input has helped to narrow a long list of proposed projects to just three, details of which will be provided at Thursday's meeting, including concepts, drawings, photosimulations and animations.

Citizens who attend can review the revised concepts with the Historic Gateway Project Team and elected officials. Questions about how roundabouts would work on Atlanta Street, cost estimates and additional data also will be shared.

Following the meeting, the team will recommend a final preferred alternative early next year.

The project will then undergo required state and federal environmental processes, preliminary design plans and right-of-way acquisition. Construction isn't expected to begin until 2017-2018