Popular Atlanta corridor repaved as lanes see safety improvements

The commute down busy Memorial Drive just got smoother and safer.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has completed a $2.9 million project aimed at improving a 4-mile stretch of the popular corridor, the agency said in a statement.

Crews resurfaced Memorial Drive from Pearl Street, which is near Cabbagetown, to Candler Road in DeKalb County, GDOT said.

The project also removed the old reversible lanes near East Lake, which changed direction based on the time of day.

“Traffic volumes and accidents increased exponentially along the corridor, compromising the growing need for safe pedestrian crossings,” the GDOT statement said.

It also added new turn lanes at key intersections, improved the efficiency of traffic signals and upgraded pedestrian crosswalks.

Memorial Drive is a popular corridor for commuters coming from DeKalb into downtown Atlanta who want to avoid I-20 or other highways.

“We would like to thank residents and business owners in the project area for their continued patience throughout the project construction and our local transportation partners for their important roles in and support of this project,” Kathy Zahul, a GDOT district engineer, said in a statement. “We at Georgia DOT hope that motorists and pedestrians are already seeing the benefits.”

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