New toll express lanes are coming back to Georgia 400 and could cost some drivers.
Transportation officials said the traffic on GA-400 increases every year as northern communities continue to expand. To help alleviate traffic, the plan is to add toll lanes in both directions. According to a state board, the State Road and Tollway Authority approved plans last year to allow a private company to pay for the majority of the $6.1 billion price tag for construction of two new express lanes along Georgia 400 in exchange for 50 years of collecting toll money. The company will be responsible for maintaining wear and tear of the roads to making sure the lanes are flowing efficiently
Only drivers who want to use the new lanes will be charged. Regular lanes will remain toll free. The project would add two buffer-separated lanes in each direction and will stretch from the North Springs MARTA station to McGinnis Ferry Road. The express lanes will feature “dynamic pricing,” rising as demand increases during peak travel times and falling at off-peak times, giving drivers the choice to pay a fee to bypass congestion.
The project also will include a transit component. MARTA is planning to run a bus-rapid transit line (BRT) using the toll lanes from the North Springs station north to an existing park-and-ride lot on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta.
Construction is expected to begin sometime this year.
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