The Dunwoody City Council has unanimously approved a construction contract for the Georgetown Gateway Project, which would include traffic and pedestrian improvements on Chamblee-Dunwoody Road between Cotillion Drive and Peeler Road.
The $6.11 million contract with SD&C, approved July 13, would enhance landscaping, expand and add walking paths, and make minor traffic adjustments to the area.
“It’s been a long time coming, and we’re going to have to live with [construction] for a long time because of the complexity, but I think it will be a lovely upgrade to an important corridor in our city,” Councilmember Jim Riticher said in the council meeting.
Before construction starts, utility companies in the area will have to move their infrastructure, which will take about two years, according to the SD&C construction contract. Utility relocation is set to start in late fall.
Construction is set to take another two years, so improvements should be completed by 2024, according to the construction contract. The project has been on the council’s radar for more than five years.
Part of the project’s purpose is to enhance this area of Chamblee-Dunwoody Road as an entrance point into the city. Landscaping, street trees and pedestrian lighting are all set to be part of the construction, according to the contract.
The contract still requires approval from DeKalb County and the Georgia Department of Transportation, which usually takes 60 to 90 days, according to the contract.
Because of upcoming GDOT projects that have not yet been finalized, namely possible toll lanes at the top end of I-285 and an I-285 westbound ramp extension, Smith said the city is coordinating the project with GDOT.
Right now, the project includes a landscape wall on the east corner of Cotillion Drive and Chamblee Dunwoody Road, but that feature will not be added until the city knows GDOT’s plans for the area, according to the construction contract.
“I haven’t gotten their schedule yet, but we’re talking,” Smith told the council in the July 13 meeting.
SD&C’s bid was the lowest-cost option of the eight bids the city received, according to the contract. The city received $5.2 million in federal funds for the project and $566,000 from DeKalb County. It also has an additional $3.28 million allocated, which is more than needed for the cost of the construction bid.
Riticher said these extra funds for the project will be good in case a new DeKalb County School District elementary school gets built at 4680 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road. Riticher said this elementary school may cause changes in intersection improvements in the project area.
“We just have to be ready for changes in this project for intersection improvements associated with a potential new school,” Riticher said.
Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified the potential new elementary school that Councilmember Jim Riticher referred to in the July 13 council meeting. This error has been corrected.