By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great local journalism.
Here’s the latest on 6 transportation projects in Forsyth County
GA. 400 369 interchange
The new Ga. 400 interchange at Hwy. 369 is one of the most noticeable and impactful road projects in Forsyth County. - photo by Ashlyn Yule

In 2014, Forsyth County voters approved a $200 million transportation bond to help fund projects in the county.  

Since then, several of those projects have been completed, including new lanes on both sides of Ga. 400 and projects on Pilgrim Mill, Union Hill, Brookwood and Sharon roads. 

Along with the completed projects, several projects are still under construction, design or right-of-way is being purchased to move ahead with the plans.  

Here’s a look at where several of those projects stand.  

Ronald Reagan Parkway 

20200515_RonaldReaganExtension_1_web
The intersection of Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Majors Road, in South Forsyth. Forsyth County Commissioners on Tuesday, May 13, 2020, approved a $44.7 million bid by G.P. Enterprises to connect Ronald Reagan Boulevard from Majors Road to McFarland Parkway. (GoogleMaps)

  • What it is: The proposal would connect the two existing, but separate, portions of Ronald Reagan Parkway, which currently end at McFarland Parkway on the southern portion and Majors Road on the northern portion.  
  • Status: The project is under construction and work is expected to be done by July 2023.  
  • More info: In May 2020, Forsyth County Commissioners awarded a bid worth $44.7 million to G.P. Enterprises for the construction of the project.

McGinnis Ferry Road widening

  • What it is: A project to widen McGinnis Ferry 4.6 miles from Sargent Road to Union Hill Road. The project includes widening the road to two new lanes in each direction with a 20-foot-wide raised median, a 16-foot-wide urban shoulder with a 10-foot-wide multi-use path on the north side and a 12-foot-wide urban shoulder with a six-foot sidewalk on the south. 
  • Status: Forsyth County is currently purchasing right-of-way for the project and bidding for construction of the project is expected to start in the fall.  
  • More info: The project is expected to start in winter 2022 and is being paid for with SPLOST and transportation bond funds. It is expected to cost about $27 million.  

Ga. 400-McGinnis Ferry Interchange  

McGinnis Ferry Road & Ga. 400 Interchange 2021-08-13
Google Maps

  • What is it: Like the project on Hwy. 369, a new interchange is also planned on McGinnis Ferry Road. The project will add a full-diamond interchange and will add northbound and southbound auxiliary lanes on Ga. 400 south to Windward Parkway ramps and north to the McFarland Parkway ramps of the existing McGinnis Ferry bridge, which will be replaced in the project.  

  • Status: Right-of-way acquisition is underway. Bids for the project will go out in the fall. 

  • More info: In January, GDOT awarded the contract for the project with 36 months to complete the work. The project is expected to cost $30 million from bond and state funds and will also tie into the McGinnis Ferry widening project. 

Old Atlanta Road

  • What it is: There are currently two planned phases for a road-widening project on Old Atlanta Road. Phase IV of the project will widen the road one mile from St. Marlo Country Club Parkway to Olde Atlanta Parkway, and Phase V will widen the road 1.1 miles from Olde Atlanta Parkway to James Burgess Road.  

  • Status: Bidding for construction of the project will start this fall. 

  • More info: Phase IV of the widening will include two lanes in each direction with a raised median, shoulders, curb and gutter and five-foot sidewalks and is expected to cost $15.6 million in SPLOST and bond funding. Phase V is expected to cost $15.9 million from the same sources and will also include two lanes in each direction, a raised median, shoulders, curb and gutter and five-foot sidewalks. 

Ga. 400-Hwy. 369 interchange 

Hwy. 369 Ga. 400 071219 web
Traffic navigates the intersection of Hwy. 369 and Ga. 400 on Thursday, July 11, 2019. Preliminary work is set to begin on a new interchange project that will upgrade the existing intersection to a "grade-separated, partial cloverleaf interchange."

  • What is it: A new Ga. 400 interchange at Hwy. 369. The interchange project will be for a continuous-flow, partial-cloverleaf interchange at the current intersection, while the widening project is for a four-lane road divided by a 20-foot raised median that will include an 8-foot sidewalk trail along the south side of the highway and a 5-foot sidewalk on the north. 
  • Status: Officials broke ground on the project in November 2020, and the work is expected to take 36 months to complete and open in late 2023, weather permitting. GDOT awarded the construction contract in January.  
  • More info: The project is being funded by Forsyth County and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) along with $3 million in grants. Forsyth County is contributing just over $26 million from its 2014 transportation bond approved by voters, while GDOT will pay $16 million. 

Coal Mountain Connector 

Coal Mountain Connector
A proposed new road would provide a bypass avoiding the intersection of Browns Bridge Road (Hwy. 369) and Dahlonega (Hwy. 9). - photo by For the Forsyth County News

  • What it is: Also tying into the Hwy. 369 widening project is the proposed Coal Mountain Connector, which will go from Hwy. 9 at Smith Lane to Hwy. 369 at Bridgetowne Drive. 

  • Status: Forsyth County is currently purchasing right-of-way for the project and designing the project. 

  • More info: According to county documents, the project is expected to cost about $9 million and be paid for with impact fees. The connector will attach to the North Forsyth cluster of schools and will go through land used for Coal Mountain Park, which will require the county’s Miracle League field to be moved to Lanierland Park.