The installation of a new gas main and improvements has led to lane closures and an “eyesore” for local residents, but the project is entering its final phase.
Atlanta Gas Light has been working to update its infrastructure along several major Buckhead thoroughfares since July 2021, causing traffic issues and what one nearby resident calls an “eyesore” for homeowners in the area. Though complete relief for those who travel through or live in the area is still a few months away, the “Piedmont Enhancement Project” is now entering the home stretch. According to the natural gas provider, the installation of the upgraded system is complete, and now crews will work to “restore” the project zone.
The project entails infrastructure upgrades along a three-mile stretch of Piedmont Road from East Pelham Road NE to the intersection of Peachtree Road and Piedmont Road with additional construction taking place along East Paces Ferry Road from Piedmont Road to West Paces Ferry. The total scope of the work includes the installation of a new natural gas main on East Paces Ferry Road and a regulator station, along with the replacement of “vintage” mains in the area. Atlanta Gas Light says the project will help the company meet increasing natural gas demand among residential and commercial customers while improving the safety, reliability and resiliency of its infrastructure.
Lane closures, construction crews and their equipment have been a consistent sight along the area over the last year as work has been in full swing. Christine Bird, who lives nearby in the Peachtree Park neighborhood, has called the project an eyesore and has shared some concern over some unsettling warning signs near the work area related to compressed gas in the area. Although, she did note Georgia Power, Atlanta Gas Light’s parent company, has been a good neighbor, and she was not opposed to the infrastructure updates.
“My only concern about all this, I think it might be affecting traffic with the road closed for a year now,” Bird said. “And the whole thing is just an eyesore. All the dirt and gravel everywhere, the road closure, and nothing seems to be happening.”
Those troubles may soon be alleviated as the project transitions from its construction phase to a refurbishing of the construction area. Alicia Young, a representative with Atlanta Gas Light, said the focus of the project has shifted from installation and upgrade work to finalizing the project. Pipeline installation is complete with crews “currently working to restore the project area.”
“Community members may notice work in several locations,” Young said.
She added restoration to the right-of-way and other construction areas to their pre-construction conditions are underway along with final inspections.
While the website for the project, piedmontenhancementproject.com, states the project was expected to be completed by the end of 2022— six months ahead of schedule — but Atlanta Gas Light is now stating the entirety of the project should be completed by this spring.
Lane closures will still be in place as the project draws to a close. No additional lane closures — those beyond what are currently in place or have been during construction — are expected, but “some of the restoration will require temporary lane closures,” Young said.
Atlanta Gas Light has “worked diligently to ensure that access to local businesses remained opened during construction,” she said. However, some customers have been required to enter properties at different locations, including, at one point, those visiting the Kyma Greek restaurant.
Young said those in the community who have additional questions can contact the project’s contact line at 404-584-3145 or email piedmontenhancement@southerco.com.
The spirit of Buckhead heads forward. This is the way it has been, and perhaps this is the way it will always be. The spirit of Buckhead points forward. You see it in the way we work, and you see it in the way we play. The reach is always extending further. The search is for excellence and beauty and grace and vibrancy.
We are a community of individuals. We are diverse, we are dynamic, and we are discerning. We are builders. We are connected to one another with a common bond. A common dream. A common quest. Pointing life in one direction. Forward.
