County leaders kicked off a project earlier this month that will bring new trails and expanded water and sewer services to eastern Gwinnett residents.

The Eastern Regional Infrastructure Project will take shape across 8,500 acres of land in the Dacula area over the next few years. Officials expect to complete the $125 million project by 2024 with the help of Lawrenceville-based JDS Inc. for design and construction.

“This project harnesses the resources and capabilities of today in preparation for the opportunities of tomorrow,” Nicole Love Hendrickson, county commission chairwoman, said in a news release.

A map showing the upgrades and expansion of water and sewer services and new trails coming to the Dacula area. (Courtesy of Gwinnett County)

Credit: Gwinnett County

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Credit: Gwinnett County

Many of the improvements will directly benefit Rowen, a 2,000-acre development billed as a “knowledge community” that local leaders hope will become the state’s largest employment center focused on agriculture, medicine and the environment.

The trail section, known as the Eastern Regional Greenway, will include about five miles of trails along the Apalachee River. Two trailheads will be built at Harbins Road and Winder Highway. The county plans to connect the new trails to the Piedmont Pathway, stretching from Dacula to Norcross.

The project includes new water mains and increasing the size of existing ones. Expansion of sewer services include a gravity sewer — an underground pipe used to move wastewater by sloping pipes between manholes, using the difference in elevation to keep the fluid moving.

A pump station to move sewage through higher elevations and a force main to transport fluids are also included in the project.

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