Cumming 2026: South Forsyth road projects, Sharon Springs park upgrades, new openings

GDOT recently completed a road widening project to SR369 with a $34.5 million contribution from Forsyth County, a change planners say will reduce congestion and mitigate issues with future growth in the northern portion of the county. That $34.5 million figure and the SR369 completion are cited in regional transportation materials addressing capacity on GA 400 corridors affecting Cumming and South Forsyth.

A mid‑February development roundup shows multiple projects moving from planning into construction or opening phases in mid‑February 2026, from regional road work to private master‑planned communities and city‑sponsored mixed use. That concentrated activity frames an intense year for traffic, parks and new retail in the Cumming area.

Regional recommendations in the Atlanta‑area freight and transportation plan call for major lane expansions: SR 20 is recommended to increase from 2 to 6 lanes between the City of Cumming and the eastern county boundary, and SR 9 is recommended to expand from 2 to 4 lanes from the City of Cumming to the north boundary. City of Cumming planning materials note the city is looking at adding one or more lanes on SR 20 but explicitly state that SR 20 lane additions are "not programmed" in the current funding schedule.

Cumming city planning also identifies local capacity work. The city is improving Bethelview Road as a partial bypass, and the municipal traffic portfolio shows responsibility for eight signals: two along Market Place Boulevard, two on Tribble Gap Road serving the Post Office on Elm Street and the elementary school on 13th Street, and four along Atlanta Road at Buford Dam Road, Meadow Drive, Maple Street and an additional facility listed in the plan excerpt. Forsyth County’s transportation plan update from 2018 identified four traffic signalization timing projects on state routes as part of congestion management, although the plan excerpt supplied does not include the full list.

Parks are poised for attention as well. A local Facebook post by Cody Dodge states, "Forsyth County is about to drop $50M+ into a park in South Forsyth that a lot of people don’t even realize is getting upgraded. Sharon Springs Park is set for a major facelift - new pickleball courts, batting cages, pavilions, trail upgrades, and even a roundabout near the softball fields. Nothing’s been awarded yet, so this likely won’t break ground until 2027, but it’s already fully approved and heading to bid." The county’s 2016–2026 Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan inventories 11 regional and community parks and sports complexes, seven passive areas, five lake parks/water access points, two regional nature preserves and one greenway, providing the planning backdrop for any new Sharon Springs capital investment.

Mixed‑use and master‑planned development will continue to reshape commercial nodes. City planning describes the City Center as a municipal project meant to be "an entertainment district that will compensate for the lack of draw of Cumming’s central business district." The city plan also notes, "Much of the project will open in August 2022," while subsequent local development coverage describes broader openings in 2023 including a popular amphitheater, indicating phased activation of City Center components.

A new town center south of Cumming, The Crossing at Coal Mountain, occupies about 140 acres roughly a mile west of GA 400 and includes planned commercial and retail plazas; coverage names firms tied to the site such as Toll Brothers, Atlantic Residential, Bridger Properties, NAI Brannen Goddard, Ironwood Design Group, JLL, Fortune Johnson, ASD|SKY, Nelson Worldwide, Cindy Jones Mills and Arqui300, and reports that residential sections of phase one broke ground last year.

With $34.5 million already tied to SR369, recommended widenings on SR 20 and SR 9, a city pushing City Center and Bethelview improvements, and a social media claim of a $50M+ Sharon Springs package heading to bid, 2026 is shaping as a pivotal year for construction, traffic management and park investments in South Forsyth.