Atlanta, Ga. (August 29, 2019) – As part of the ongoing Piedmont Atlanta Tower construction project, Piedmont Atlanta Hospital has deeded almost an acre of land to the City of Atlanta to widen Collier Road where it intersects with Peachtree Road in order to improve traffic flow. The work, coming at a cost of $3.6 million, which is being funded by Piedmont, started this month and is expected to be complete early next year.
Some closures are expected during construction. One lane on Collier Road (out of the three in front of Piedmont Atlanta) will be closed to vehicular traffic, tentatively, from Sept. 3 to Sept. 9 and also from Oct. 25 to 31. This will allow for traffic flow in both directions. The sidewalk on the north side of Collier (the Piedmont side) will be closed from September 2019 through January 2020.
The project falls in line with the BeltLine Overlay District Standards, which seeks to promote, among other goals, to facilitate safe, pleasant and convenient pedestrian and bicycle circulation and minimize conflict between pedestrians and alternative transit modes.
“In addition to easing congestion and improving traffic flow in the area, this project will allow more safe space for pedestrians to walk,” said Patrick M. Battey, M.D., CEO of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. “At a hospital where we have nearly 280,000 outpatient encounters and more than 50,000 emergency department visits a year, this project not only will benefit our patients but also the entire Atlanta community as a whole.”
Piedmont, through its contractor Brasfield & Gorrie, is performing the construction on behalf of the City of Atlanta, which has the responsibility for managing and maintaining Collier Road, and the Georgia Department of Transportation, which has the same responsibilities for Peachtree. The 0.9 acres of land that Piedmont is giving back to the city is appraised at $900,000. This project will add a second left-turn lane from Collier Road east-bound to Peachtree Road north-bound. Sidewalks around the hospital will be expanded, and the “curve” for drivers turning right onto Collier from Peachtree will be softened.
“I’ve lived in Atlanta a long time and I know road construction projects are never easy, but this work will have a positive impact for people who use Collier Road,” said Amanda Mewborn, Executive Director of Project Management for Piedmont Healthcare, who oversees the tower project. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work to improve the roadways in our community.”
The Piedmont Atlanta Tower, which will house up to 408 beds and will have 13 new operating rooms, is scheduled to open to patients in late summer 2020. The tower was made possible in part through a $75 million gift from The Marcus Foundation.