Local and state officials will gather Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 10 a.m. to ceremoniously break ground for a project that will widen State Route 400 in Forsyth County from McFarland Parkway to State Route 369. The work will add one lane in each direction.  

The project is being made possible through a partnership between Forsyth County and the Georgia Department of Transportation. GDOT has 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.  

“Our citizens recognized the need to continue to enhance transportation in our county and they decided to do something about it,” said County Commission Chairman R.J. (Pete) Amos. “By approving Forsyth County’s Transportation Bond, they enabled the county to advance projects sooner than otherwise would have been possible, while leveraging state and federal funding, making the most of our bond dollars.”  

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 widening project is expected to be completed in mid-2018.  

“Almost exactly one year after the people of Forsyth County voted to improve their mobility, work begins to widen State Route 400. As weather permits, crews will begin work overnight. This fall, crews will concentrate on removing damaged concrete sections and replacing them with new concrete. This work will occur overnights and weekends. Next spring, new construction will begin giving us one additional lane in each direction. The project completion date is June 1, 2018,” said Rudy Bowen, State Transportation Board representing the 7th Congressional District.  

The ceremonial groundbreaking will be held in the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority Park & Ride lot off of North Old Atlanta Road in Cumming.  

Following the groundbreaking November 4, Forsyth County will continue its focus on transportation with the Forsyth County Transportation Summit being held at the Forsyth Conference Center at Lanier Technical College. Attendees will hear updates on transportation projects from officials from both Forsyth County and the Georgia Department of Transportation. For information or to register, contact the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce: www.cummingforsythchamber.org or (770) 887-6461.