Dunwoody City Council approved $4.96 million in federal funding for pedestrian and traffic changes on Chamblee-Dunwoody Road between Cotillion Drive and Peeler Road.
Nicknamed the Georgetown Gateway project, part of its purpose is to enhance that section of Chamblee-Dunwoody Road as the entrance point of the city.
The project is set to cost $6.11 million in total, according to a construction contract with SD&C that the council approved in July. It includes landscaping, expanding and adding walking paths and making minor traffic adjustments.
According to the SD&C contract, the city has $3.28 million allocated and $566,000 from DeKalb County, which is more than needed for the cost of the construction bid.
Once the Georgia Department of Transportation also approves the federal funds for the project, utility relocation will start, which is expected to take two years.
Construction is set to take another two years, so improvements should be completed by 2024. The project has been on the council’s radar for more than five years.
City Public Works Director Michael Smith said staff is coordinating with GDOT because of its upcoming projects in that area, namely possible toll lanes at the top end of I-285 and an I-285 westbound ramp extension.
The Chamblee-Dunwoody bridge over I-285 will be rebuilt as part of the GDOT project, Smith said, which will be a little higher than the existing bridge and need some repaving.
“It won’t impact our schedule, but we may leave off a few things at the very end of our project for them to do when they repave the road,” Smith said. “We’ll continue to have that coordination throughout.”
Councilmember John Heneghan expressed some concern about the potential of the DeKalb County School District building a new elementary school at 4680 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, which is currently vacant but owned by the district.
Smith said staff is only planning to widen the sidewalk and add street trees at that property and would expect the district to put those amenities back if construction on a school building affects them.
“Until a plan comes forward from the school system that we could work with, we would expect the school system to put back whatever we put there,” Smith said.