Changes to Roswell road plan still up in air

City leaders’ effort to tinker with design runs into GDOT resistance.

Uncertainty continues to surround Roswell’s Historic Gateway project.

Mayor Kurt Wilson, city staff and council members Mike Palermo and Lee Hills met with Georgia Department of Transportation officials last week regarding the $58 million project, and left with no guarantees that changes can be made to the project design.

The city will be permitted to submit redesigns to GDOT for the project to widen Atlanta Street, but the agency has not assured Roswell that adjustments would be approved, Wilson said during a City Council work session on Monday.

When contacted by The Atlanta Journal-constitution, the transportation agency’s spokesperson,

Natalie Dale, declined to provide the reason for a three-year delay in the start of construction for the project or if a redesign of some kind is expected to take place.

During Monday’s meeting, Wil

son said the city had received no notice marking a date that construction would begin.

At least 70% of the project is being funded by GDOT.

Roswell submitted final designs for the Historic Gateway to GDOT in 2012, Palermo told the AJC.

That was two mayors ago. Today, officials and residents including a group on a newly formed Transportation Advisory Commission want the project to be smaller in scale with new plans implemented that they say would better prevent heavy traffic flowing into the Atlanta Street corridor.

Atlanta Street has reversible lanes that begin at an unsafe intersection where Roswell borders Sandy Springs, which has been a common site of vehicle collisions.

Reconstruction of Atlanta Street, also known as Ga. 9, would widen the corridor from three to four lanes and include roundabouts and new turn lanes — extending from the Chattahoochee River up to Marietta Highway at Roswell Square.

In early August, the state agency was engaged in the acquisition process on about 40% of the 67 parcels needed for the project, according to Roswell.

COURTESY Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson, city staff and council members Mike Palermo and Lee Hills met with the Georgia Department of Transportation regarding the $58 million project and left with no guarantees changes will be allowed on the scope of the work.