Q: What are they doing at Hickory Grove Road over I-75? I know it is something to do with all of the improvements they are doing. They have been working on the bridge for a while, so we wanted to know what they are doing there.
—Toni Wickham, Acworth
A: Construction on the Hickory Grove Road overpass at I-75 is part of the Northwest Corridor Project that will add two reversible express toll lanes to that interstate and another on I-575. A wider bridge will be built that will include an entrance ramp to the I-75 express lane for use in the mornings and an exit lane to be used in the evening, project manager John Hancock told Q&A on the News.
Two I-75 express lanes will run from I-285 to I-575 and the one reversible lane will extend to Hickory Grove Road. The I-575 reversible lane will extend from I-75 to Sixes Road. The Hickory Grove Road bridge portion of the project is scheduled to be finished by August 2016, Hancock said. The Northwest Corridor Project, which will add 29.7 miles of toll lanes, has a projected cost of at least $840 million.
Q: Was the defense attorney in the Atlanta Public Schools trial a former Atlanta Falcons player? Or was his name Joe Ricks?
—John Timpe, Johns Creek
A: Gerald Griggs is an Atlanta lawyer who was a defense attorney in the recent APS trial. Gerald Riggs played running back for the Atlanta Falcons from 1982 to 1988 and is the franchise's leading career rusher with 6,631 yards.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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