Northside Reversible Lane Closing by 2014

Northside Drive's reversible lane will become a two-way left turn lane as part of a larger build including sidewalks and one new right turn lane to be finished by June 2014.

The conversion covers Northside Drive from I-75 until it connects with the existing four-lane portion of the road below Northside Parkway.

The road will remain the same width, three lanes wide, just as it does on a section that is already converted from a reversible lane to a two-way turn lane.

The only widening comes from a new right turn lane from Northside Drive northbound onto Collier Road eastbound. Once that's done, there will be no time restrictions on turns anywhere on the intersection.

"This right turn lane will eliminate some of the queueing" that delays traffic toward and that sometimes backs up onto the freeway offramp, said Georgia Department of Transportation Project Manager Derrick Cameron.

Cameron discussed the changes at Tuesday night's meeting of Buckhead's Neighborhood Planning Unit D.

The project also includes fixing signal timing and installing sidewalks at key intersections on Northside Drive, with the aim of improving the safety and efficiency of the thoroughfare. Work is set to be bid out in June 2012.