AJC
Atlanta Forward: Transportation
May 7, 2013 Gwinnett County : Lawrenceville police direct traffic at the scene of the jammed up intersection Tuesday morning, May 7, 2013. The westbound lanes of Ga. 316 in Gwinnett County reopened, some two hours after a logging truck overturned and shut down the major thoroughfare. According to the state Department of Transportation, two trucks and a smaller vehicle crashed just before 6 a.m. at the junction of Ga. 316 and Ga. 20 near Lawrenceville. One of the trucks overturned, losing its load of logs, the DOT said. Three people were injured, according to authorities. Gwinnett fire Lt. Colin Rhoden said that when firefighters arrived, they began treating those injured, and putting down material to absorb hydraulic fuel that was leaking from one of the vehicles. Rhoden said crews were able to absorb the hydraulic fuel before it could get into storm drains. Rhoden did not know the extent of the injuries. All lanes of Ga. 316 in both directions were blocked, as was Ga. 20. The eastbound lanes of Ga. 316 had reopened by 7 a.m., and the westbound lanes were reopened about an hour later, but traffic was still slow through the intersection as crews worked to remove the remaining wreckage. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Today’s moderator: Tom Sabulis
A 20-year veteran of the AJC, Tom Sabulis has covered news, politics and the arts during a career that has taken him to newspapers across the country. Since 2008, he has coordinated many of the newspaper’s pro/con debates and first-person guest columns.
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grants provide federal funding to planning organizations like the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) for projects that relieve traffic snarls and reduce air pollution. Today, we hear about the distribution of grants from the ARC's executive director, while a highway proponent takes issue with some of the commission's decisions. We also break out the new spending.
Today's columnists:
- An 'exciting' chance to reduce congestion by Doug Hooker
- ARC funding should focus on traffic by Baruch Feigenbaum
- More info on ARC spending
