(Lawrenceville, Ga., Oct. 21, 2009) - Gwinnett County Department of Transportation has launched a website and is inviting individuals to participate in a Citizens Advisory Group for the Ronald Reagan Parkway Extension project. The project has been proposed to relieve the severe traffic congestion currently experienced in the southwest area of Gwinnett County, and especially to improve the accessibility to Interstate 85.

"Traffic relief for this area has been requested by residents and businesses for years, and this project provides the opportunity to learn about what solutions may be feasible," said Brian Allen, Gwinnett County Department of Transportation Director. "We want to continue listening to, engaging and responding to the public, and we hope people visit the website and attend the upcoming public meeting on Nov. 3."

Gwinnett County is working collaboratively with the Skanska Team to pre-develop, and potentially design, construct, finance, operate and maintain roadway lanes and associated facilities along a northern extension of the Ronald Reagan Parkway to Interstate 85.

The project is currently in the Pre-Development Agreement phase, an early step in which Gwinnett County and the Skanska Team work collaboratively to determine if the project is feasible from technical, environmental, financial and public perspectives. The Skanska Team is comprised of proven members, the majority of which are locally-based; a complete list is available on the project's website.

New Website: www.ReaganExtension.com

Gwinnett County and the Skanska Team believe public awareness and involvement are vital to this project. To inform and involve the public, an interactive website has just been launched at www.ReaganExtension.com. In addition to providing project information, the site provides a timeline, a listing of team members, and provides the opportunity to submit questions and to join a subscription list for future updates.

Public Meeting: Nov. 3 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Berkmar High School

Gwinnett County and the Skanska Team are looking for residents to participate in a Citizens Advisory Group for the project. The Group will spend time during approximately the next nine to 12 months listening to information about the project, sharing ideas, identifying issues and helping to raise awareness of various stakeholders' perspectives.

An initial meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 3, will explain the project, provide opportunities for public input and allow residents to self-select participants to form the Citizens Advisory Group. The meeting is 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. in the Auditorium at Berkmar High School, located at 405 Pleasant Hill Rd NW in Lilburn.

About Gwinnett County Department of Transportation

The Gwinnett County infrastructure system includes more than 2,750 miles of road, over 640 signalized intersections, thousands of miles of traffic striping and the fourth-busiest airport in Georgia. The mission of the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation is to enhance quality of life by facilitating the mobility of people and goods safely and efficiently. This mission is accomplished by planning, constructing, operating and maintaining the aviation, transit and surface transportation systems. The Department of Transportation performs this mission with 166 full-time personnel and an annual operating budget over $31 million.