(Lawrenceville, Ga., March 7, 2012) – The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approved a contract with the Georgia Department of Transportation on Tuesday for $2.5 million in state funds for the Sugarloaf Parkway extension from Campbell Road to State Route 316.

Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash said, “The Board’s gratitude goes to the state DOT for contributing funds to this regionally significant project. This is just another example of how our SPLOST funds have been able to leverage state and federal funding to help improve mobility."

Work on the current section is the last of four projects to extend Sugarloaf Parkway from State Route 20 south of Lawrenceville to State Route 316 in the Dacula area. Once completed, the four-lane, divided, limited-access roadway will have interchanges at New Hope Road, Martins Chapel Road, Campbell Road and SR 316. The state previously provided a total of $5 million toward the construction of two other sections.

The extension will improve mobility in the central and eastern part of Gwinnett County, relieving congestion by providing an additional travel alternative between south Lawrenceville/Grayson and the Dacula area. When combined with the proposed second phase (SR 316 to Peachtree Industrial Boulevard), the project also will enhance access between the south Lawrenceville/Grayson area and the Suwanee/Sugar Hill/Buford area.

Construction of the final section is already underway by ER Snell Contractor, Inc., which previously won the contract. The ramps on the south side of SR 316 are anticipated to be opened to traffic in August with the north side ramps expected to open by the end of the year.

Construction of the first section (SR 20 to New Hope Road) began in late 2007 and opened to traffic February 2010. Construction on the second section (New Hope Road to Martins Chapel Road) began in early 2009 and opened to traffic December 2010. Construction of the third section (Martins Chapel Road to Campbell Road) began in early 2010 and opened to traffic last August.