The Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce held its annual Transportation Forum on Tuesday at the Boathouse at Lake Lanier Olympic Park to address Hall County’s transportation projects.
Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry provided updates on ongoing and future projects in Gainesville and Hall County.
“Let me give you the spoiler alert. More orange barrels,” McMurry said. “Just remember, orange barrels equal progress.”
GDOT Budget
McMurry said Governor Brian Kemp approved an additional $1 billion for GDOT in the 2025 Fiscal year budget.
“I can tell you how important that was this year due to the hurricanes and the hurt, and we just finished cleaning up debris off the roadsides last week,” McMurry said. “We had a $200 million hit to our maintenance budget due to the hurricane.”
Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport
Last year, the airport received $1.75 million to rehabilitate the terminal area apron. This year, GDOT will invest $600,000 of state money to replace the taxiway lighting.
District 1 Engineer Jason Dykes said the $2.8 million taxiway rehab project will include a precision approach path indicator replacement, and new runway signage that will display the distance left at the end of the runway.
The Blue Ridge Connector
McMurry said that due to Senator Drew Echols' work with budget appropriators, there's going to be $5 million more added to the project of state investment.
The connector will include 325 miles of rail access down to the Port of Savannah and will operate Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Sardis Connector
The Sardis connector broke ground on Apr. 17 and will be a four-lane divided highway that will span just over three and a half miles connecting Dawsonville Highway (Ga. 53) at Sardis Road to Thompson Bridge Road (Ga. 60) at Mount Vernon Road.
The project, scheduled to be completed in 2028, will provide a connection between State Route 53 and State Route 60 in North Hall.
Browns Bridge Road Safety and Pedestrian Upgrade Project
The project will cost just over $500,000 and will add median nets on Browns Bridge Road at high crash locations.
The project is expected to be completed by this summer.
Green Street Improvements
“This project improves safety and mobility for vehicles on the corridor, and it's going to improve the sidewalks and everything as well, addressing needs for improved drainage, maintaining or enhancing the historic element to Green Street,” Dykes said.
The improvement will include a five-foot median, 11-foot travel lanes with curb and gutter landscape strips, and a six-foot sidewalk.
