2020 Rockbridge Road Expansion

Note that this page will be updated throughout the life of the project whenever significant events or milestones occur. Overall Project Description

November 9th, 2022 Information Meeting regarding Rockbridge Improvement Project

Please be advised that DeKalb County's Program Management Team and the City of Pine Lake will host a Community Meeting, Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. at the Clubhouse, located at 470 Clubhouse Drive, Pine Lake, Ga. 30072  See Flyer

March, 2022 Update - Rockbridge Construction 

Remaining Activities:

• = Stormwater pipes will be installed on south side of road.
• = Sidewalks will be completed.
• = North side of road will be contoured to direct stormwater into drop inlets installed on south side.
• = Road will be completed.

Estimated Completion Date: December 2022

Impact on Businesses:

= Steps to improve visibility of entrances and exits to businesses with more distinctive barriers and signage have been requested of DeKalb County.

= Snell Construction has committed to maintaining the gravel driveways for entrance and exit.

= Single lane flagged traffic will be required at various locations on the road from time to time during the remainder of the project.

Contact Information:

• Chris Kingsbury – Atlas Construction (claims/receipts for property damage or business loss.)

            Phone: email: Chris.Kingsbury@OneAtlas.com

• Jason Quinn - Snell Construction (Call or email if driveways need maintenance)

            Phone: 678-878-5071 email: jquinn@ersnell.com

• Alesia Brooks – Dekalb Commissioner Steve Bradshaw’s Chief of Staff (Copy on all emails)

            Phone: 404 371-7031 email: ADBrooks@dekalbcountyga.gov

• Dr. G. Leah Davis - Dekalb Commissioner Lorraine Cochran Johnson’s Chief of staff (Copy on all emails)

            Phone: 470.889.4212 email: GLDavis@dekalbcountyga.gov

• City of Pine Lake (copy on all emails)

            Phone: 404-999-4901 e-mail: info@pinelakega.net

February 15th, 2022 Town Hall regarding Rockbridge Construction

DeKalb COO, Zach Williams has organized a meeting with the General Contractor of the Rockbridge Road expansion project (Atlas Construction) to provide information and to answer questions for those most affected by the still unfinished construction, the business owners on Rockbridge. Residents and all interested parties are also invited.  See Flyer

1/7/2021 Mayor's clarification of City's role in tree cutting: 

I requested that the City hire an arborist (we do not have a designated one at this time) to meet on site yesterday with GPC before the pruning and removal began. I was also present. We chose to do this EVEN THOUGH the property belongs to a third party and GPC has purchased an easement to do what they are doing. The City has no jurisdiction over this process. Rather, we have the good will developed in numerous meetings and conversations with the Transmission Project Manager and the community development representative of Georgia Power.

The arborist report is non-binding and was meaningful only because we have continued to work in good faith; example—Ms. Wheeler sent a photograph of a chain saw and a bottle of spray disinfectant as recommended by Ms. Evanovich, something their crew does not typically do. As far as the tree planting recommendations, we will be talking with the private property owner about next steps. The corner lot continues to belong to him. 

1/6/2021 From Arborist re: trees to be cut and pruned for transmission poles: 

1/5/2021 Letter from GA Power Describing Transmission Pole Relocation Project: 

1/5/2021 Update from the Mayor regarding Stormwater Mitigation on Rockbridge Road: 

Stormwater mitigation has been a primary focus of our meetings with Dekalb County and DOT during my first four years in office.

A very graphic example of the work being done isn’t even inside our City limits. You can see it next to Dean’s Market. What looked like an empty lot with small trees and miscellaneous weeds was actually a Dekalb County bio-retention area that had been forgotten about. Councilperson Hall and I worked with Commissioner Steve Bradshaw to have it cleared—because this will now be an area that captures a huge amount of runoff and percolates it rather have a percentage flow unmitigated into the City.

If you drive down Rockbridge within City limits you can also see 19 large drains (”drop inlets”) on the South side that will eventually be at street surface. These will capture the stormwater runoff from Rockbridge which will itself dramatically change: the Pine Lake section of Rockbridge will be re-graded to slope 2 degrees away from the residential district, toward the opposite side of the street—steering flow into the drains, which are piped into the bioremediation feature. Compare this to what we currently have—which is nothing. 

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12/30/2020 email from the Mayor on Relocation of Transmission pole:

Dear Neighbors,

Many of you are aware of the relocation of a large transmission pole as part of the Rockbridge Road-widening project. The current pole sits in the traffic island next to the Shell station. The new pole will be erected on the commercial lot at the corner of Rockbridge and Poplar. (The traffic island will be removed).

Although the City is ultimately not in a controlling capacity in this situation, GPC has met with us a number of times and listened to our concerns. The project team were given copies of our community-generated petition.

The relocation of this pole is only one part of the larger Rockbridge Project and was determined years and years ago. In a good faith effort to address our concerns, GPC reconvened the original location team to examine the site and minimize impact on the existing trees.

As a result GPC has adjusted the location of the pole, requiring the removal of only two of the original five trees (one of which, it was pointed out, is nearly dead). There will be trimming of two of the three remaining trees. We just got notice that this work begins next week. The City will have an arborist on site during the work.

Conversations are ongoing to repurpose the site to create a long-term positive outcome for the City.

And we are almost done with 2020.

Overall Project Description:

The Rockbridge Road Expansion a joint project of the GDOT and the Dekalb Transportation Dept. The purpose of the project is three-fold:

• To expand the section of Rockbridge from just West of Allgood Rd to Rowland Road to three lanes. Which will consist of two traffic lanes and a center turn lane.
• To add a sidewalk on the south side of the road.
• To replace water lines running under the road with new lines.

The Project Work Parameters are as follows:

• Normal work hours will be M-F 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
• It will be permissible to work evenings 7:00 PM - 6:00 AM and Saturdays. (will only be under special circumstances
• Traffic Control method - single lane flagged traffic when necessary.
• Access to businesses will be maintained, however it may not be the current access location.
• Total Estimate for project: 540 Calendar Days

Major Project Components:

• Clear and cut into south side of Rockbridge – rebuild retaining walls
• Install water supply lines south side of road only
• Build / Rebuild Road and Sidewalk
• Move Utility Poles and Transmission lines from north to south side of road. - Update