SR 20 Has Been a Long Road for Gwinnett

The roots of SR 20 development, which has entered its final stages in Gwinnett, go back quite a few years.

Then-Gwinnett Commission Chairman Wayne Hill and former Gov. Roy Barnes were dickering over Gwinnett involvement in the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA), a metro Atlanta bus transportation project. Seems the state wanted Gwinnett's participation, but was reluctant to back development of SR 20.

Hill, a Suwanee resident, recalled Friday that the state relented on funding at the last minute, and Gwinnett's involvement with SR 20 was born.

That involvement moved along Friday in Sugar Hill, when Gwinnett and state officials held a groundbreaking for the final two stages of the SR 20 development.

Plans call for widening the remaining 4.5 miles in Gwinnett into Forsyth County. The highway runs all the way from Loganville and Walton County and in front of the Mall of Georgia in Buford. Gwinnett will manage this part.

Also, the project calls for the construction of two new two-lane bridges over the Chattahoochee River into Forsyth. Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) will oversee the construction of this part.

Completion of the widening could take about three years to complete.

Gwinnett provided about $7 million of the cost, from SPLOST funds, for part of the engineering. About $85 million for the bridge and roadway projects is coming from state and federal authorities.

However, Georgia DOT board member Rudy Bowen noted that there has been "a lot of hardship" in the project. He was referring to the fact that some 17 properties had to be condemned along the route before the final phase could begin.

But there was still a lot of optimism in the air. "It's a very exciting day for regional transportation," said Gwinnett Transportation Director Kim Conroy.

-- What are your thoughts on the SR 20 widening and expansion? Tell us in the comments below.

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