The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) began a three-year-long reconstruction and widening project on Macland Road, the department announced.

The $22 million project, widening more than 6 mi. of Macland Road between the communities of Powder Springs in western Cobb County and Hiram in eastern Paulding County commenced on July 10.

The area is west of the metro Atlanta suburb of Marietta, itself located northwest of the Georgia capital city.

CMES Inc., an engineering firm and heavy construction contractor based in Norcross, was awarded the contract in the spring.

The reconstruction of the east west corridor of Macland Road, or Georgia State Route 360, will overhaul the roadway between Lost Mountain Road (SR 176), near McEachern High School, and Charles Hardy Parkway (SR 120) in Paulding County.

Plans call for widening Macland Road from two lanes to four, as well as adding a grassed center median to the passageway. The designs also call for creating new dedicated turn lanes and 5 ft. sidewalks to each side of the road, according to the state transportation department.

"These improvements are needed to accommodate the growing traffic along SR 360, improve mobility between the cities of Dallas and Marietta, and enhance safety on the corridor," GDOT said in a news release. "The project is scheduled for completion in November 2023."

Phase One of the project, which consists of clearing vegetation and starting overhead and underground utility work around the roadway, has required lane closures.

The reconstruction project timeline is subject to change, the GDOT said, depending on weather conditions.

The entire project length is approximately 6.2 mi. long with 3.1 mi. in Paulding County and 3.1 mi. in Cobb County.

The contract for the road work was the largest of 19 construction contracts awarded by the GDOT in April for statewide transportation projects totaling $113.5 million.

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