State Officials Prepare for Major Changes to GA 400

Georgia 400 toll plaza 01/12/2008

Doug Kerr via flickr.com / http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougtone/4018045831/

Metro Atlanta commuters are being given fair warning: changes are coming to GA 400 before the end of the year.

The State Road and Tollway Authority is removing the tolls and tollbooths on GA 400.

Work is expected to start in late November.

“We didn't want it to be on the weekend of Thanksgiving, and so we moved a week ahead to try to get that all done before that busy weekend with shopping,” says Bert Brantley, the SRTA's executive director.

Once tolls are no longer collected, traffic on 400 North and 400 South will be directed through the Peach Pass lanes as crews tear down the booths.An audio version of this story.

After that, traffic diversions will be put in place as the Peach Pass lanes are eliminated.

“A promise was made 20 years ago to end the tolls when the road was paid off.  Governor Deal made it a campaign issue when he was running and so fulfilling those promises are important in order to keep the public's trust,” says Brantley.

  The Authority says the goal is to have construction complete by June 2014.

The cost of the project is estimated to be $4.5 million dollars.