Georgia DOT to host three in-person Public Meetings on State Route 316 Planning Study

Atlanta – The Georgia Department of Transportation (Geoorgia DOT) will host three in-person public meetings to povide the community an opportunity to review informational materials and provide initial feedback on the State Route (SR) 316 Planning Study, a comprehensive examination of a 40-mile section of SR 316 from Interstate 85 (i-85)in Gwinnett County to SR 10 in Oconee County.

The meetings will be held at the following location on these dates:

• Gwinnett County: Tuesday, May 23 from 4-6 p.m. at the Dacula Park Activity Building, 2735 Old Auburn Ave.,  Dacula, GA 30019
• Oconee County: Thursday, May 25 from 4-6 p.m. at the Bogart Community Center, 141 E. Thompson St. Bogart, GA 30622
• Barrow County: Tuesday, June 6 from 4-6 p.m. at the Winder Public Library; 189 Bellview St., Winder, GA 30680

Georgia DOT is examining this critical east-west transportation artery, which experiences high crash rates and congestion. The study’s initial analysis shows that approximately 65% of the 40-mile corridor experiences crash rates higher than the state wide average. The study aims to identify, analyze and put forward recommended potential improvements that best benefit safety and mobility.
All informational materials are available on the study’s website at https://bit.ly/sr316planningstudy
The study began in mid-2022 and is expected to conclude by early 2024. As part of the study, Georgia DOT will complete a comprehensive Origin-Destination (O-D) analysis; analyze existing and future traffic growth and land-use data; and evaluate alternatives and provide recommendations. 
Separately but concurrently, Georgia DOT is moving forward with a series of reconstruction projects to transform portions of SR 316 in Gwinnett, Barrow, and Oconee counties into more of a free-flow facility. To learn more about these projects, visit Transforming State Route 316 (arcgis.com) 
The study is not intended to duplicate the efforts of these projects; rather, the study will examine the corridor through a holistic planning approach to determine possible additional improvement needs, with a particular focus on long-range planned projects. 
The three in-person public meetings follow several stakeholder briefings held in February and March with city, county, and business leaders as well as a cross-section of residents in Gwinnett, Barrow, and Oconee counties. These public and stakeholder meetings will make up Phase 1 of the study’s outreach activities. Phase 2 will be conducted later this year.  
“This initial stakeholder and public outreach is key to the study’s success,” said Jomar Pastorelle, Georgia DOT project manager for the study. “Our goal is not only to share information, but also to gather feedback hat we can potentially incorporate into the study’s ongoing analysis of a range of possible improvements along SR 316. We encourage everyone who drives, lives, or works along this corridor to participate.” 
Georgia DOT has created a brief survey to gather feedback from the public. The anonymous survey, available at https://bit.ly/sr316planningstudy, will help inform the study’s continued analysis. 
In addition to attending the public meetings and taking the survey, community members may provide feedback through the following channels: 
1.    Email questions or comments to sr316project@dot.ga.gov
2.    Call (678) 597-9850 (English) and (678) 812-0246 (Spanish) to leave a voicemail
3.    Submit written comments to the following address:
Georgia Department of Transportation
Office of Planning, 5th Floor
600 West Peachtree Street NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
To learn more about the study, visit https://bit.ly/sr316planningstudy

***Georgia Department of Transportation plans, constructs and maintains Georgia’s state and federal highways. We’re involved in bridge, waterway, public transit, rail, general aviation, bike and pedestrian programs. And we help local governments maintain their roads. Georgia DOT and its nearly 4,000 employees are committed to delivering a transportation system focused on innovation, safety, sustainability and mobility. The Department’s vision is to boost Georgia’s competitiveness through leadership in transportation.