The Northwest Corridor Project on Track!

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1 The Northwest Corridor Project on Track! I-575 Northwest Corridor (/I-575) Project Newsletter Spring 2012 Vol. 1, No. 5 "Adding new lanes - and the new capacity they will provide - is critical to a continued high quality of life in metropolitan Atlanta and to sustaining further economic growth for the region and for all of Georgia." Governor Nathan Deal The Northwest Corridor Project includes the construction of tolled managed lanes along from I-285 to Hickory Grove Road and along I-575 to Sixes Road. The project was originally to be delivered under a long-term Public Private Partnership (P3) toll concession strategy: in return for an investment in the project, the private partner would collect tolls and retain some control over future corridor improvements. Governor Nathan Deal expressed concerns about the state s sovereignty under these terms, and the State Transportation Board cancelled the procurement of the P3 toll concession approach in December Since then, Georgia DOT has made important changes: the project remains a P3, but the method of delivery has changed to Design-Build-Finance (DBF). DBF is more streamlined, requires less private financing, provides greater state control and still allows benefit from the investment, innovation, and expedited delivery of a P3. The private partner will contribute initial funding of percent of the total project cost, Artist rendering of the Managed Lane System Flyover at Windy Hill Road and be responsible for design and construction of the project. The state will provide oversight of the construction and retain responsibility for operations and maintenance of the roadway, tolling and long-term financing. The state will repay the private partner after the facility is open to traffic. DBF addresses the Governor s major concern: the state will be able to implement additional transportation solutions in the corridor as needed. Under this delivery process, the project is moving forward with full support from Governor Deal, Georgia legislators, and the State Transportation Board. This project is estimated to cost approximately $950 million. Georgia s share of the project costs will come from several sources, including low-interest federal loans and bonds. The Georgia General Assembly has indicated strong support of this project and its potential economic benefit by appropriating $300 million in state motor fuel revenues toward the project cost. in the Community To raise awareness of the financing changes, answer any questions and gather feedback, the project team will be reaching out to the community through informational kiosk events at area malls, churches, and county commission meetings this summer. We ll have factsheets, comment forms and the FEIS document for review. Two events have already been scheduled and are listed below. Please stay tuned to the project website for more scheduled events. June 29, :00pm 9:00pm Cumberland Mall 1000 Cumberland Mall Atlanta, GA June 30, :00pm 4:00pm Town Center at Cobb Mall 400 Ernest W. Barrett Pkwy Kennesaw, GA 30144

2 I Northwest Corridor (/I-575) Project Newsletter The Northwest Corridor Project Concept Financing and procurement for the project may have changed, but the project s scope is still the same. The project still includes the addition of a managed lane system to and I-575. The lanes would be tolled and the priced adjusted throughout the day to maintain a minimum average operating speed of 45 miles per hour. The new managed lanes would be reversible to help minimize traffic congestion in the direction with the most demand, for example southbound in the morning commute period and northbound in the afternoon commute period. Features of the project still include: Two new tolled managed reversible lanes on elevated structures or walls on the west side of between Akers Mill Road and I-575. A single toll managed reversible lane continuing north on from the /I-575 interchange to just beyond Hickory Grove Road. A single toll managed reversible lane continuing north on I-575 from the /I-575 interchange to a point north of Ridgewalk Parkway and south of the Sixes Road interchange. Six new managed-lane interchanges on constructed at the following locations: I-285, Terrell Mill Road, Roswell Road, I-575, Big Shanty Road and Hickory Grove Road. Three pairs of slip ramps on I-575 constructed near the existing general purpose interchanges at Barrett Parkway, Shallowford Road and Sixes Road. The slip ramps allow traffic in the inside general-purpose lanes to merge to the new tolled reversible lane in the highway median. RTOW 75 Acworth Hickory Grove Rd. HICKORY GROVE 41 Big Shanty Rd. Kennesaw DOUGLAS WADE COBB GREEN DALLAS HWY CHASTAIN COBB System-to-System Interchange between and I POWDER NE SPRINGS 20 TOWNE LAKE Marietta AUSTELL BELLS FERRY Chattahoochee Holly Springs Sixes Rd. Woodstock System-to-System Smyrna Interchange between and I-285 Mableton 575 CANTON N. MARIETTA SIXES S. MARIETTA BARRETT ALLGOOD S COBB DR River CO B WINDY OLD ALABAMA Shallowford Rd. Big Shanty Rd. CANTON CNCTR SHALLOWFO DELK SE HILL BOLTON CHEROKEE SR 3 Conn/Roswell Rd. POWERS FERRY LOWER TERRELL MILL WINDY RIDGE BANKHEAD AKERS MILL MOORES MILL HWY 120 FULTON Chattahoochee Terrell Mill Rd. MARIETTA MLK 92 BLVD River Akers Mill Rd. 75 Atlanta FULTON NORTHSIDE DR Roswell 14TH ST PEACHTREE LEGEND Existing One HOV Lane in each Direction One Reversible Lane Two Reversible Lanes Managed-Lane Interchange Slip Ramps Rev. 7/ Miles What s Next? As the next step in the environmental process, a determination on the project s concept, known as the Record of Decision (ROD), is expected to be issued in early The ROD will state the decision on the project; describe the alternatives, including the preferred alternative; list any environmental impacts; and discuss the plan to address the impacts including mitigation or monitoring. The process for contracting private partners to design, build and finance the project will also continue with GDOT requesting qualifications from interested firms this summer and proposals from a selected shortlist in December. Final design of the project is anticipated to start in 2013 and construction in The managed lanes could be open to traffic as early as spring of 2018.

3 Can I still review the FEIS? The FEIS continues to be available on the project website, and at the following area libraries, GDOT s Office of Environmental Services and GDOT s District Offices: Atlanta-Fulton County Library, One Margaret Mitchell Square, Atlanta GA 30303, Cobb County Central Library, 266 Roswell St, Marietta GA 30060, RT Jones Memorial Library, 116 Brown Industrial Pkwy, Canton GA 30114, Georgia Department of Transportation, Office of Environmental Services, 600 West Peachtree Street, NW., 16th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30308, GDOT District 6 Main Office, 500 Joe Frank Harris Parkway, Cartersville, GA 30120, GDOT District 6 Cherokee Area Engineer s Office, 874 Peeples Valley Road, NW, Cartersville, GA 30120, Have a group interested in more information? Contact us to ask a question or schedule a presentation or information kiosk! GDOT District 7 Main Office, 5025 New Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA 30341, and GDOT District 7 Office, Cobb Area Engineer s Office, 1269 Kennestone Circle, Marietta, GA Northwest Corridor (/I-575) Project Newsletter Get Involved! For project updates and to join the mailing list or provide feedback: Voice Mail Hotline: (404) nwcpcomments@projectsolv .com Website: To submit written comments, or for more information please contact: Darryl D. VanMeter, P.E. State Innovative Program Delivery Engineer Georgia Department of Transportation One Georgia Center 600 West Peachtree NW, 19th Floor Atlanta, Georgia ACRONYMS DBF: Design Build Finance FEIS: Final Environmental Impact Statement FHWA: Federal Highway Administration GDOT: Georgia Department of Transportation HOV Lanes: High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes P3: Public Private Partnership RFQ: Request for Qualifications RFP: Request for Proposals ROD: Record of Decision SRTA: State Road and Tollway Authority 3

4 PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY Name Address City, State, Zip Address Northwest Corridor Project (/I-575) Project CSNHS (256), P.I Northwest Corridor Project Comment Form Please use this form to provide any comments on Northwest Corridor. To submit, please tear off and send to the contact information below. Thank you! Mr. Darryl VanMeter P.E., State Innovative Program Delivery Engineer, Georgia Department of Transportation One Georgia Center, 600 W. Peachtree St. NW, 19th Floor, Atlanta, GA Fax #:

5 SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Northwest Corridor (/I-575) Project Newsletter Impact Acquisitions and Displacements Land Use Population and Employment Economic Impacts Neighborhoods and Community Facilities Environmental Justice Safety and Security Visual Quality and Aesthetics Parklands and Other Section 4(f) Properties Historic and Archaeological Resources Air Quality Noise Geology and Soils Ecosystems Water Resources Hazardous Materials Construction Impacts Indirect and Cumulative Effects Selected Alternative 14 full and 65 partial acquisitions, totaling 79 acquisitions. 6 residential and 8 commercial properties, including 12 businesses. Supportive of ARC planning policies and local plans/policies. Residential and business acquisitions would result in the displacement of an estimated 15 people and 33 employees. Approximately $105,000 reduction in property taxes due to acquisitions. Community effects would be limited to a small number of neighborhoods adjacent to the highway, primarily located on the west side of in the Marietta area. Effects include potential increases in noise levels. Disruptions would be on the edges of existing neighborhoods, so no substantial change to cohesion. No effects to community facilities or cohesion in any neighborhoods along the project corridor. Acquisition of 5 (of 6 total) residential and 8 commercial parcels located in minority and low-income neighborhoods. Displacement of 15 people, 12 businesses, and 33 employees in lowincome and minority neighborhoods. Disproportionate and adverse impacts as a result of property acquisitions. Emergency response times would improve. Potential to generate less than substantial visual impacts to viewers of the road from adjacent land uses, but not out of context with the existing highway setting. The use of aesthetic finishes, treatments, and landscaping can create a positive change in the corridor by creating a potentially unifying visual element along the highway for both views from the roadway and views of the roadway from adjacent properties and roadways. No impact to Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Olde Rope Mill Park, or a baseball field in the Deer Run Neighborhood. No right-of-way or easements required from parklands. Temporary construction impacts would occur on the Bob Callan Trail, but no anticipated permanent adverse impacts. Because the trail is a Section 4(f) resource and the project would have temporary impacts on the trail, the project would need to comply with the requirement for Section 4(f) approval based on Section (d). Would not prevent the future construction of any of the programmed or proposed trails within the study area. No impact. Not expected to violate current applicable NAAQS or MSAT levels. Project is in a non-attainment area for PM 2.5. Based on the results of the interagency consultation process, it was determined that the project is not a project of air quality concern and a quantitative hot-spot analysis is not required. Along, road traffic noise would affect approximately 1,451 Activity Category B sites, 467 Activity Category C sites, and 59 Activity Category E sites. Along I-575, road traffic noise would affect 139 Activity Category B sites and 19 Activity Category C sites. No impact. No effect on 10 threatened and endangered species. May affect, not likely to adversely affect Cherokee darter. No significant adverse affect to Chattahoochee crayfish and lined chub. 3,025 linear feet of streams impacted. 17 acres of 100-year floodplain impacted. 0.3 acre of wetlands impacted. CLOMR and LOMR required for crossing of Hope Creek and Rottenwood Creek 11 medium-rated potentially contaminated parcels are located along. Of these 11 medium-rated parcels, 8 parcels could be affected by potential right-of-way purchase and construction easements. Short-term impacts related to noise, visual quality, dust, vehicular access, and water quality. 0.7 mile of longitudinal encroachments to 25-foot vegetative buffers as a result of the construction activities. No adverse indirect or cumulative effects.