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PTC 1st to approve I-85 congestion relief pact

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Thursday night, Peachtree City became the first government to sign on to a proposed accord urging state officials to improve Interstate 85 access for commuters.

The agreement, spearheaded by Mayor Steve Brown, asks for improvements to the I-85/Ga. Highway 74 interchange and consideration of planning a “half-diamond” interchange on nearby Ga. Highway 92.

The proposed new half interchange would serve more than 1,000 homes and numerous businesses in the area by having interstate access lanes going north so cars can drive to and from Atlanta without having to travel through the Hwy. 74 interchange.

The design would allow northbound drivers to get on I-85 and southbound drivers to get off, but there would be no matching on- and off-ramps on the other side of Hwy. 92.

Currently, there are plans to add two more turn lanes from the southbound on-ramp to Hwy. 74 south, but that’s not due to happen until 2015 at the earliest, Brown said.

“We just can’t wait that long,” Brown added.

Meanwhile, every afternoon, traffic waiting to turn left onto Hwy. 74 backs up well onto the interstate as commuters try to get home to Tyrone, Peachtree City and Senoia.

Hopes are for other agencies to sign onto the agreement, including the South Fulton Community Improvement DIstrict, Coweta and Fayette counties, and the cities of Senoia, Union City, Fairburn and Tyrone. Those jurisdictions encompass two different districts of the Georgia Department of Transportation, which could work in favor of the projects in terms of lobbying for funding.

Brown said the group wanted to have all the various jurisdictions’ support before January so the concerns could be presented to the state legislature.

The accord also seeks a study of the I-85 area interchanges, representation on the regional freight study for the Atlanta Regional Commission and site identification for park and ride lots, which was put in specifically for Fulton County, Brown said.

After the council passed the measure unanimously, Brown replied: “One jurisdiction down, eight to go.”

Copies of the agreement will be forwarded to various government agencies including the DOT and the ARC.