New GA 400 Interchange at McGinnis Ferry

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A new interchange on Georgia 400 and McGinnis Ferry Road may be on the horizon, according to a press release from the Georgia House of Representatives.

The Georgia Department of Transportation on Thursday approved an Interchange Justification Report (IJR) on the proposed project much to the delight of the Forsyth County Legislative Delegation.

State lawmakers from Forsyth, North Fulton, Dawson, Cherokee and Lumpkin counties, who make up the delegation, have long supported the road project.

“We are very pleased that this important new interchange received approval from the Federal Highway Administration and GDOT," the delegation said. "A new interchange at 400 and McGinnis Ferry will provide improved mobility and drive economic development in our growing community."

The delegation also said they will continue to work diligently for additional approvals and funding for this project.

While construction funding for the interchange has not yet been programmed, GDOT plans to utilize federal funds previously earmarked for the project to begin preliminary design work in fiscal year 2014, the press release stated.

Former U.S. Representative John Linder and U.S. Representative Lynn Westmoreland previously set aside a total of $3.5 million to be used on the estimated $22 million project.

“This is a long-awaited and much needed interchange,” said State Transportation Board Member Rudy Bowen. “The department has spent more than $70 million in recent years upgrading McGinnis Ferry Road and improving east-west mobility for Forsyth, Gwinnett and North Fulton motorists. This will be a continuation of those efforts.”

Transportation Board Member Emily Dunn said she was delighted with the proposed project.

“Forsyth County is not only a wonderful place to live; it is developing into a huge economic driver for the Metro Northside," she said. "Better connectivity to GA 400 will complement both of those attributes.”

The purpose of an IJR is to analyze the impact and suitability of proposed or possible new interchanges on the operational integrity of the affected highway. In this instance, GDOT engineers and planners reviewed the IJR submitted by Forsyth County and concluded the proposed interchange would provide operational improvement in the area.