Local brief
Lake Hearn plan adds a third approach lane—and separated paths
Funding agreements are in place, but design and land acquisition continue. The concept combines turn-lane changes with walking and biking connections.
The plan for Lake Hearn Drive at Peachtree Dunwoody Road would give westbound drivers a third lane at the light—and people walking or biking paths separated from traffic.[1]
Sandy Springs’ Oct. 23 capital-project report says funding agreements with MARTA and the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts are in place. The project remains in design, with land acquisition underway.[1][2]
The city’s June 2024 concept describes roughly half a mile of improvements. Lake Hearn’s westbound approach would change from two lanes to three: left-turn only, shared left-turn/straight-ahead, and right-turn only. The plan would also provide more room for vehicles waiting to turn left.[1]
A 12-foot-wide shared-use path on Peachtree Dunwoody’s west side would tie into the path designed for the I-285/Ga. 400 project and the sidewalk at Hammond Drive. On Lake Hearn, a 10-foot path would run east from the intersection to a medical-facility parking entrance on the north side. A six-foot sidewalk is proposed on the south side, extending to an office-complex entrance west of Altmore Avenue. Landscaping strips would separate those Lake Hearn routes from the roadway.[1]
The traffic study shows why an intersection-wide grade can miss a driver’s problem. Its analysis of 2024 conditions rated the intersection acceptable overall during all three peak periods. Yet the morning eastbound approach from Northside Hospital’s driveway received an F, with more than 178 seconds of modeled delay—nearly three minutes. Those are the study’s 2024 results, not a measurement of today’s waits.[1]
During an April 2024 field review, the study team also observed westbound left-turn queues spilling beyond their lane into the through lane. The proposed additional lane and longer left-turn storage target that problem.[1]
The 2024 concept estimated a $4.762 million total cost, including $2.24 million for construction and $1.61 million for acquiring right of way. Those are dated planning estimates, not construction-award prices.[1]
The October status entry lists approved right-of-way plans and coordination on an access agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation. Final plans, utility coordination and completion of land acquisition remain on the to-do list. The entry provides no construction start date.[2]
Sources
2 official sources cited in this report. The bracketed numbers in the text link here.