During its Feb. 26 regular meeting, Avondale Estates’ commission essentially approved a contract with Stantec to commence Phase One of redesigning U.S. 278 through downtown.
Once some “minor [contractual] wording” is completed, according to a city official, Stantec can begin with conducting four public input sessions, preliminary designs and traffic counts. This first phase should last through most of this year, total cost $463,000, with 80 percent of that paid by an Atlanta Regional Commission grant. (the city pays $92,600).
Avondale hopes to narrow 278, a three-quarter mile stretch from Ashton Place to Sams Crossin, from five to three lanes. Preliminary plans also call for wider sidewalks bike lanes, safer crossings and green infrastructure to filter storm water. The city hopes to produce a design similar to the half-mile of Decatur’s North McDonough Road from Trinity Place to Howard Avenue.
Traffic counts, which should finish by late spring, will determine either what type or if there’s any road lane reduction at all. Traffic analysis not only includes current trends but anticipated counts for upcoming developments and potential new developments.
Since U.S. 278 is a state highway, the Georgia Department of Transportation has final approval of all plans.
Phase 2 involves right-of-way negotiations and acquisition, with Phase III including final plans and construction. A tentative start date for construction is February 2021.
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