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US 278 Avondale Estates. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Plans to narrow U.S. 278, the main road running through Avondale Estates are moving forward.

A $463,000 contract with Stantec for Phase 1 was approved at the Feb. 26 city commission meeting. The contract is currently under review.

As previously reported, the road will be reduced from two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction. There will also be fewer turn lanes.

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Mayor Jonathan Elmore said Phase 1 would entail a traffic count, design work and engineering or the project.

The city’s interim manager, Ken Turner, declined to make City Planner Keri Stevens available to answer questions about the project. Stevens in the past has been available to talk about projects that she is most knowledgeable about, and specifically has discussed the plans for U.S. 278. Turner referred questions to Elmore. It is not clear why the city  of Avondale Estates is no longer allowing employees to conduct interviews. The city of Decatur routinely makes its employees available to answer questions that fall within their areas of expertise.

Turner provided answers to Decaturish.com’s questions in an email to Mayor Elmore, which was then forwarded to Decaturish.

In the email, Turner said the Atlanta Regional Commission will pay 80 percent of the costs for Phase 1 and the city is providing a 20 percent match. Phase 1 should be finished by October 2019 and Phase III – which involves construction -should begin in 2021.

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