On Thursday, the Biden Administration announced $40 million in grants for projects that aim to improve driver and pedestrian safety on Georgia’s roads.
In Atlanta, $10 million will be spent on the construction of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the intersection of Lenox Road and GA400 in Buckhead.
The money comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, passed in 2021, which authorizes up to $108 billion for public transportation improvements nationwide.
This round of funding totals over $1 billion for the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All program. The program funds projects that work to prevent deaths and serious injuries on some of the country’s most dangerous roadways.
“Through new funding programs like Safe Streets and Roads for All, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping communities of all sizes make their roadways safer for everyone who uses them,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a press release.
According to the DOT, over 1,000 crashes have occurred at the busy intersection within a three-year period.
“This stretch of Lenox Road is considered to be among the most dangerous streets in the city of Atlanta,” said Jim Durrett, executive director of the Buckhead Community Improvement District (CID).
The Buckhead CID submitted the application for funds as part of the Lenox Road Complete Street project. The project will create a 1.25-mile pedestrian corridor connecting the Lenox MARTA station to Piedmont Road.
The $10 million grant will go toward the cost of the bridge, which is estimated to be over $43 million. Construction is expected to begin in October 2025 and be completed in January 2028.
Durrett said the bridge is also the first phase of HUB404, a park that aims to restore greenspace in the area. The portion above GA400 will be a third of an acre, and plazas could be built on both sides of the freeway. It will also connect with PATH 400, a multi-use trail.
“What we’re doing here is trying to create a connected network of walkable and bikable streets throughout the entire district and [the bridge] is a critical missing link in that network of safe streets,” Durrett said.
In metro Atlanta, Gwinnett County will receive $1.6 million to invest in speed control, data analytics, new technology and the evaluation of safety interventions. The City of East Point will receive $400,000 to develop a safety action plan.
Other Georgia municipalities receiving funds include the cities of Savannah, Carrollton and LaFayette, in addition to Macon-Bibb, Coweta and Montgomery counties.
Note of Disclosure: A previous version of this story had confusing wording regarding the $10 million grant covering the cost of the pedestrian bridge. The total cost of the bridge is estimated to be over $43 million.
