October 5, 2016: Less than one year since the groundbreaking for the project to widen State Route 400 in Forsyth County, the first portion of the project – an 8-mile section northbound from McFarland Parkway to just north of Highway 20 – opened today for motorists.

The project is being made possible through a partnership between Forsyth County and the Georgia Department of Transportation. GDOT contributed $13 million to this work and is managing the project. The remainder of the project funding – approximately $34.5 million – comes from the Forsyth County Transportation Bond. Approved by 63 percent of Forsyth County voters in November 2014, the Transportation Bond will finance a variety of transportation projects throughout the county.

“The widening of State Route 400 is a tremendously important project for our county, and our citizens are to be commended for making it happen,” said Forsyth County Commission Chairman R.J. (Pete) Amos.

The project includes construction of an additional lane in each direction on State Route 400 from McFarland Parkway to State Route 369, including widening bridges at Big Creek and at Lake Lanier/Sawnee Creek. The target completion date for the remaining northbound expansion from just past Highway 20 to State Route 369 is spring 2017. The entire project – both northbound and southbound – is scheduled to be open to traffic in October 2018. Drivers are reminded to drive alert and be aware that the new lane ends just north of Highway 20 and to prepare to merge as needed.

Following a ceremonial ribbon cutting today for the first widened portion of State Route 400, Forsyth County continued its focus on transportation with the Forsyth County Transportation Summit held at the Forsyth Conference Center at Lanier Technical College, where attendees heard updates from officials with Forsyth County and GDOT.