Buice Road Bridge Closure Begins March 9, Completion Expected Fall 2026

Buice Road closed to through traffic at its bridge over Johns Creek on Monday, March 9, launching a $2.9 million replacement project that has been years in the making and will reshape one of the corridor's most flood-prone crossings.

The existing bridge falls short of safety standards for the volume of water flowing underneath. During heavy storms, it causes flooding upstream, and motorists have repeatedly watched water rise to overflowing levels, creating repeated closure threats. The new structure will be built at a higher elevation to improve stream flow and reduce the frequency of weather-related shutdowns.

Georgia Bridge and Concrete, awarded the contract through a competitive procurement process that closed bids in March 2025, will replace the bridge with a wider structure designed to accommodate both vehicle traffic and pedestrians on either side of Buice Road. Work will also include new asphalt pavement, storm drainage, and concrete sidewalks. The City Council chose to rebuild at the existing location rather than relocating the bridge 50 feet to the south, a decision that limits impacts to adjacent private properties.

Pedestrian access was a priority during council deliberations. "I like the fact that I want to make it as pedestrian-friendly as possible," Councilman Lenny Zaprowski said at an April 26 work session. "I'd like it to have as much room as possible to make it safe."

The bridge project is designed to connect with two adjacent efforts already underway along the same corridor: the Buice Road Trail project running from Spruill Road to Haverhill Lane, and the Buice Road Sidewalk project from Twingate Drive to Kingston Crossing Circle. Together, the three projects will complete a continuous pedestrian corridor along Buice Road between Jones Bridge Road and Old Alabama Road.

The overall cost estimate is $2.9 million, broken down as $400,000 for engineering, $200,000 for right-of-way, and $2.3 million for construction. The project is being executed in partnership with the Georgia Department of Transportation.

During the closure, Buice Road is shut from Farmbrook Lane east to Twingate Drive for approximately three months. Motorists are directed to use Spruill Road and Old Alabama Road as alternate routes. Full construction is expected to be completed in fall 2026.