Cost concerns raised over Dunwoody’s bridge enhancements at I-285

Graphic of pedestrian and bridge enhancements on Chamblee Dunwoody Road at the I- bridge Courtesy of the City of Dunwoody The Dunwoody City Council at its July meeting discussed final design and cost estimate for enhancements to the Chamblee Dunwoody Road bridge over I- The improvements will be incorporated into an agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation as part of the Top End Managed Lanes project according to a presentation by Society Works Director Michael Smith Since the city council discussed the enhancements in December the fence column LED lighting has been removed at GDOT s direction Smith disclosed GDOT has also directed removal of the barrier wall planter between the path and the tour lanes which the council discussed at the meeting The million negotiated cost includes decorative railing pedestrian lighting barrier and bridge painting plus a GDOT-mandated percent contingency on the painting piece The city s five-year capital budget right now includes million for the project Smith reported Another factor in the enhancements involves the GDOT plan to replace the bridge as part of its Top End Express Lane project The new bridge will have the same number of lanes as the existing bridge with a -foot sidewalk on the east side of road and a -foot-wide shared use path on the west side according to a staff memo presented to the council Future plans include turning Cotillion Drive and Savoy Drive into one-way roads with a return access lane connecting the two roads will also be added to the east side of the bridge The council questioned the GDOT changes to the design asking whether they were aesthetic or safety issues and expressed disappointment with the final design Smith disclosed he was unsure about the reasoning behind the modifications For a million price tag I m thoroughly underwhelmed with the enhancements that we are getting stated Council Member Tom Lambert A lot of the initial elements have been stripped out for cost reasons which I understand but what s left doesn t justify the enormous price tag Smith declared he is anticipating an Inter-Governmental Agreement from the GDOT which will include more details about the project Mayor Lynn Deutsch declared the timing for the enhancements along with the Top End Managed Lane project is still unclear and that it appears that at a minimum is several years away Deutsch also questioned the percent contingency for part of the overall project which was echoed by other council members No action was taken at the July meeting Smith stated he would return to the council after the IGA is received The council also heard from Alan Mothner the CEO of the Spruill Center for the Arts who presented an annual description regarding its operations He discussed the impact of Spruill s latest -square-foot expansion Project offerings have increased percent and enrollment has increased percent compared to before expansion Mothner explained while waitlists have decreased by percent Spruill has also awarded scholarships totaling about In other action the council appointed Jeff Moss to a three-year term on the Dunwoody Planning Commission and reappointed Scott Brown and Thomas O Brien to another three-year term recognized three police officers J Davis J Edwards and T Wanstreet for life-saving efforts in the field approved a memorandum of understanding for the costs associated with sharing a SWAT-equipped carriage with Chamblee Brookhaven and Doraville recognized graduates of the in recent months completed Dunwoody Teen Police Academy heard a description from Dunwoody City Manager Eric Linton about engagements within Dunwoody The post Cost concerns raised over Dunwoody s bridge enhancements at I- appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta