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Right-of-way acquisition could begin soon for this Hall road project
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The Hall County Board of Commissioners is voting Thursday, June 25, 2020, on a contract with GDOT for right-of-way acquisition for the Sardis Connector that will impact the intersection of Brackett and Ladd Drives. - photo by Scott Rogers

Update, June 25: The Hall County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to approve a contract with the Georgia Department of Transportation that will begin the right-of-way acquisition process for the Sardis Connector.

The Hall County Board of Commissioners will vote Thursday on a contract with the Georgia Department of Transportation that will kickstart the right-of-way acquisition process for the Sardis Connector. 

Hall County is responsible for the design, engineering and right-of-way acquisition for the project, while the state will handle construction. The county contribution is $27.5 million, with $17.5 million coming from the county’s current special purpose local option sales tax, SPLOST VII. SPLOST VIII funds will be used for the other $10 million.  

The state’s cost will be about $31 million. 

Srikanth Yamala, the county’s public works director, said 156 parcels will be acquired for the project. Once commissioners approve the contract with the state, the county can begin individual conversations with property owners and begin making offers to acquire the parcels, he said. 

The 3.5-mile connector road will begin at the intersection of Sardis and Chestatee roads.  

The first part of the connector will involve a widening of the existing Sardis Road from two to four lanes, passing Fran-Mar Drive and Chestatee Academy. Then, at the Sardis Road roundabout, Sardis Road will go back to two lanes, while Ledan Extension will become a four-lane road, going past intersections for Chimney Rock Lane and Windsor Trail.  

Ledan Extension would be four lanes up until the intersection with Thompson Bridge Road, where the connector would end near the Kroger shopping center. 

The connector will follow the path of existing roads in some places but will split from Ledan Road just past the Windsor Trail intersection.  

Maps are available on the county website. 

Yamala said the right-of-way acquisition is expected to be done in July 2022. Then, the state will take over, with construction projected to be done in 2024.  

Commissioners will vote on the contract with the state at their 6 p.m. meeting Thursday, June 25 at the Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road in Gainesville. Although the meeting will be streamed live on the county website, public comments will only be heard in person.