The City of Woodstock held a groundbreaking ceremony at 6 pm on Monday, September 27th in Downtown Woodstock for the HUB Transformation Project. The traffic improvement project encompasses several improvements throughout the downtown area that, when finished, will significantly improve traffic movements, and dramatically improve pedestrian mobility throughout the central business district.
Officials gathered at the northwest corner of Towne Lake Parkway and Main Street for remarks and a photo. The group included the City of Woodstock Mayor and Council, the Woodstock Downtown Development Authority, Baldwin Paving Company, and the State Road and Tollway Authority. The City announced on September 2nd that construction for the Hub Transformation Project was awarded to Baldwin Paving.
One of the largest changes the public will see as part of this project is the conversion of Mill Street back to a two-way street which will improve efficiencies of local grid streets to allow vehicular access west without having to use Main Street. The intersection of Mill Street at Towne Lake Parkway will be converted to a roundabout to allow a continuous flow of traffic through that intersection. The other significant change will be the addition of a left turn lane at the intersection of Towne Lake Parkway westbound onto Main Street northbound.
“We believe the Hub Transformation Project will be one of the most significant projects the city has been involved in to reduce congestion and improve efficiencies for traffic in the downtown area” states Rob Hogan, Assistant City Manager for Public Works, “The culmination of the three smaller projects will improve seven street and six intersections while major construction is concentrated at two points.”
The project is funded by a Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) grant and loan. While the total construction timeline is approximately a year, the work will be completed in phases to lessen the impact on the area. According to SRTA Executive Director Christopher Tomlinson, “This project demonstrates the value of the partnership between State and local governments. Combining a state-based loan and grant funds from GTIB with local funds accelerates the project allowing benefits to be realized sooner while reducing project costs. At the same time, loan repayments allow the GTIB program to grow, thereby strengthening the State’s ability to partner with local governments in the future.”
For more information on the project, please visit www.woodstockga.gov/hub.