Brian Vanderhoff's North Fulton Real Estate Blog

The City of Alpharetta will open bids for the widening of the Georgia 400 Northbound exit ramp to Old Milton Parkway. 

The bid outlines the project as "including, but not limited to, the widening of the northbound GA400 exit ramp, installation of guardrail, reconstructing and installing drainage structures, installing a proposed concrete island, restriping, and coordination with the City on the installation of the traffic signal.

City staff estimate that the project will cost $370,214.

The City Council voted unanimously at their April 14 meeting to submit a 2014 Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant application to the Georgia Department of Transportation. 

According to city staff, the GDOT is willing to commit up to $200,000 or 50 percent of the costs, whichever is less. These funds will be in addition to the city's Fiscal Year 2014 Local Maintenance and Improvement allocation, which is currently being used for several resurfacing projects. 

Costs above the GDOT allocation will be funded by the North Fulton Improvement District. 

The Plans and Project Manual will be posted to the city's website Thursday, April 24, and the bid opening will be Thursday, May 22 at 10 a.m.

Labels: Alpharetta, old milton parkway

Motorists should anticipate delays along a portion of Old Milton Parkway on Saturday, September 11th due to necessary maintenance activity. Contractors will be closing lanes along the roadway between North Point Parkway and Park Bridge Parkway in order to trim bushes in the median that are growing into the inside travel lanes.
Closure of the eastbound left lane on Old Milton Parkway will begin at 7:00 AM and remain in effect until approximately 1:00 PM. At that time the contractors will close the westbound left lane. It is anticipated that all lanes of Old Milton Parkway will be open for use by 6:00 PM on September 11.
Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes to avoid the effected area of Old Milton Parkway and should anticipate congestion and delays in the area.

Labels: Alpharetta, alpharetta public safety, old milton parkway, road work

Old Milton Parkway at Wills Park
Thursday, May 14, 2009 5:00 PM

The largest “Taste of” event in the South celebrates its 19th year in 2009! Dine at over 60 restaurants in one unforgettable night that’s become an annual tradition for 50,000 families, foodies and festival-goers. Sample delicious appetizers, entrees and desserts, experience chef’s competition, cooking demonstrations and exhibits. Bring a blanket to competitions at the NEW Culinary Arts and Music Stage. Play at the Fun Zone and party with metro radio stations. Time Frame: 5-10pm. Free admission, parking and shuttles.

For more information call (678) 297- 6000, ext. 1006.

Labels: Alpharetta, old milton parkway, Taste of Alpharetta, Wills Park

Local chefs are creating new tasty menus for the upcoming 19th Annual Taste of Alpharetta. The City of Alpharetta eagerly prepares for restaurants to set their tables along Old Milton Parkway at Wills Park on Thursday, May 14 from 5 to10pm.

To provide enough delicious samples for over 60,000 attendees, restaurants prepare over 360,000 “Taste of” delicacies. Menus will include BBQ pork sliders, crabmeat cheese rolls, basil chicken salad, chocolate covered strawberries and much more!

From its beginning 19 years ago with only four restaurants in Milton Square Park across from Alpharetta City Hall, the event has become the largest “Taste of” festival in the South. Now an annual tradition for 60,000 families, foodies and festival-goers, Taste of Alpharetta showcases over 60 local restaurants ranging from 5 Seasons North, to Wildflour, to Schakolad Chocolate Factory.

Participating restaurants serve up an amazing array of appetizers, entrees and desserts from their menus for just $.50- 3 per sample. Tickets may be purchased on-site the evening of the Taste or pre-purchased at Alpharetta City Hall.

“The Taste of Alpharetta is one of our city’s most anticipated events,” said Mayor Arthur Letchas. “Each year our committee invites new restaurants and seeks entertainment for the entire community to enjoy.”

Please save gas and use our free shuttle system. Park and ride shuttle options will be available at Alpharetta City Hall (on South Main Street), Publix Super Market (on Old Milton Parkway at Haynes Bridge), and Milton Center (the old Milton High School at Milton Avenue).

Admission, shuttle and parking for the 19th Annual Taste of Alpharetta is FREE. Park and walk options available at the Wills Park Equestrian Center (on Wills Road) and Alpharetta Community Center (on Roswell Street).

The Culinary Arts and Music Stage will feature chef competitions from 5 to 7 pm following with live music from 7 to 10 pm. Come and spread your blanket for a full night of entertainment in Wills Park.

Top chefs pair against one another in contests for Best Appetizer/Salad, Best Fast Casual Entree, Best Fine Dining Entrée, Best Dessert and Best Presentation. Judges will be Atlanta Cuisine editor, Tom Maicon; freelance restaurant writer who contributes to the Atlanta Journal Constitution and WGST, Helen Cauley; director of Salud! Cooking & Lifestyle School at Whole Foods Market, Ashley Brooke; and food writer, cooking show host, and food editor for North Fulton Living Magazine, Hans Rueffert.

Attendees can vote for their favorite restaurant at the Culinary Arts and Music Stage, designating only one restaurant as the Taste of Alpharetta People’s Choice recipient. Additional judges will walk restaurant row to award the Best Booth presentation.

After dining at all of their favorite restaurants in one night, Taste of Alpharetta families can look forward to playing at Wacky World and on the dozens of fun inflatable activities, Guitar Hero, rock climbing, trains and more in the Fun Zone. By the Lion’s Club pavilion at Wacky World, the Reptile Wrangler will feature educational reptile shows all evening plus exhibits. Children can also enjoy wacky hair, face painting, balloon art, and a full farmyard with pony carousal. Metro Atlanta radio stations will add to the evening’s entertainment.

The 19th Annual Taste of Alpharetta is proud to have City of Alpharetta, Comcast, Publix Super Market Charities, Inc., as our Premier Sponsors; AT&T Real Yellow Pages and Revue & News of APPEN Newspapers as our Platinum Sponsors; ADP, Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau, DeVry University/Georgia, Georgia Power Company, and Sprint as our Gold Sponsors; Costco, Eisen Family Chiropractic, Everyday Waterproofing, Flagstar Bank, Taylor Construction Company, and The New York Times and Vantage Card Service, Inc. as our Silver Sponsors.

For more information, visit www.alpharetta.ga.us or phone (678) 297-6000 ext. 1006. Photos, event map, and additional information available upon request (678) 297-6078.

Labels: 2009, city of alpharetta, may 14, milton square city park, old milton parkway, Taste of Alpharetta, Wills Park

Local chefs are creating new tasty menus for the upcoming 19th Annual Taste of Alpharetta. The City of Alpharetta eagerly prepares for restaurants to set their tables along Old Milton Parkway at Wills Park on Thursday, May 14 from 5 to10pm.

To provide enough delicious samples for over 60,000 attendees, restaurants prepare
over 360,000 “Taste of” delicacies. Menus will include BBQ pork sliders, crabmeat
cheese rolls, basil chicken salad, chocolate covered strawberries and much more!
From its beginning 19 years ago with only four restaurants in Milton Square Park across from Alpharetta City Hall, the event has become the largest “Taste of” festival in the South. Now an annual tradition for 60,000 families, foodies and festival-goers, Taste of Alpharetta showcases over 60 local restaurants ranging from 5 Seasons North, to Wildflour, to Schakolad Chocolate Factory.

Participating restaurants serve up an amazing array of appetizers, entrees and desserts from their menus for just $.50- 3 per sample. Tickets may be purchased on-site the evening of the Taste or pre-purchased at Alpharetta City Hall.
“The Taste of Alpharetta is one of our city’s most anticipated events,” said Mayor Arthur Letchas. “Each year our committee invites new restaurants and seeks entertainment for the entire community to enjoy.”

Please save gas and use our free shuttle system. Park and ride shuttle options will be available at Alpharetta City Hall (on South Main Street), Publix Super Market (on Old Milton Parkway at Haynes Bridge), and Milton Center (the old Milton High School at Milton Avenue).

Admission, shuttle and parking for the 19th Annual Taste of Alpharetta is FREE. Park
and walk options available at the Wills Park Equestrian Center (on Wills Road) and
Alpharetta Community Center (on Roswell Street).

Labels: alpharetta community center, old milton parkway, Taste of Alpharetta, Wills Park

The Georgia Department of Transportation will sequentially activate 2 additional meters on SR 400 entrance ramps at Old Milton Parkway. The first meter will be turned on Thursday morning, March 19. The second will be activated during evening rush hour Thursday, March 19.

Ramp meters are turned on just before heavy rush hour traffic begins, and stay on until traffic begins to subside at the end of the peak period. They resemble standard traffic lights, and are installed approximately two-thirds of the way down the entrance ramps. Every 3-5 seconds the meter cycles from red to green, allowing one vehicle at a time to merge onto the freeway. On two-lane ramps, the left and right lanes have alternating green lights, so the left lane goes while the right is stopped, and vice versa.

“Although motorists will spend a little extra time on the ramp, they should see a decrease in overall travel time,” Georgia DOT Operations Director Steve Henry said. “We’ll monitor these new ramp meters very carefully. If traffic starts to back up on the ramp, sensors will speed up the meters to allow more vehicles to move through. If our cameras show traffic spilling out onto the surface streets, we can turn them off completely.”

One hundred-forty ramp meters currently operate in metro Atlanta:

24 on I-75 between Midtown and Chastain Road
8 on I-75 (south side)
15 on I-75/85 (Downtown Connector)
14 on I-285 (north side)
9 on I-285 (northwest)
8 on I-285 (southwest)
11 on I-285 (east side)
11 on I-85 (northeast)
8 on I-575
27 on I-20 inside I-285
5 on GA 400 north of I-285
They have collectively reduced average rush-hour commute times in these corridors by significant margins. Georgia DOT engineers have been measuring the before and after conditions on the freeways where ramp meters have been activated. These early studies show between 14 and 39 percent faster trip time averages. Other benefits include reductions in merging accidents and vehicle emissions. The Department will release a complete ramp meter study later this year.

“There will be a short learning curve period in the first few days as the public adjusts,” Georgia DOT Atlanta Regional Media Coordinator Mark McKinnon said. “We realize that we may need to tweak specific meters. Please bear with us, and keep in mind that there is no one ‘silver bullet’ solution to eliminate congestion. Ramp meters are just one of several tools that can help fight it.”

Ramp meters have been used for over 20 years in more than 20 cities across the country. They are placed on entrance ramps to help control the flow of traffic from the surface streets onto the freeway. Without metering, vehicles push their way all at once onto the interstate in a disorderly and potentially dangerous manner. Once these vehicles reach the merge point, they force their way into the travel lanes, causing additional congestion due to stop-and-go merging activity on the freeway. When this happens on already traffic-heavy freeways, there is a total breakdown of free-flow near the on-ramps, which has a ripple effect on traffic for many miles. Even with no stalls or accidents, heavy on-ramp traffic causes congestion that both extends and continues throughout the rush-hour.

The new ramps that will be operational Thursday, March 19 are:

Thursday morning: Old Milton Parkway to GA 400 southbound
Thursday afternoon: Old Milton Parkway to GA 400 northbound
The Georgia DOT urges travelers to call 511 for updated information about this or any other construction project on interstates and state routes. Georgia 511 is a free phone service that provides real-time traffic and travel information statewide, such as traffic conditions, incidents, lane closures, and delays due to inclement weather. Callers also can transfer to operators to request assistance or report incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More information is available at www.511ga.org.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is committed to providing a safe, seamless and sustainable transportation system that supports Georgia’s economy and is sensitive to both its citizens and its environment. For general information on the Georgia DOT, please visit our Web site (www.dot.ga.gov).

Labels: Ga 400, georgia department of transportation, old milton parkway, ramp meters