Abernathy Park Master Plan - click to view .PDF
When completed, Abernathy Greenway will be a welcome addition to the City’s public park system. The original concept plan for the 20+ acre linear park, approved by City Council in September 2007 can be seen in the map above. The Greenway is under construction in coordination with Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)’s expansion of the Abernathy and Johnson Ferry Roads. Funding for the multi-million dollar project comes from a combination of federal, state, and city funds.
For current information on the project, see the “News” section on this website. We’ll keep you abreast of developments and issues there. Sign up for our newsletter on our home page, send us a comment (see Contact Us).
The Context Map shows how central the Greenway is to key traffic arteries and neighborhoods in Sandy Springs.
Click to open as .PDF (8.5 MB)
To view the Abernathy Greenway masterplan and construction updates, visit:
http://www.sandyspringsga.gov/City-Departments/Pulbic-Works/Capital-Improvements-Projects/T-0002.
For road construction updates on Abernathy and Johnson Ferry Roads, visit:
http://www.sandyspringsga.gov/City-Departments/Pulbic-Works/Capital-Improvements-Projects/T-0001
If you have comments or suggestions about this project, go the “Contact Us” page and send us an email.
A Brief History of the Abernathy Greenway
When Georgia 400, a regional traffic artery, opened in 1971 it gave growing north metro communities a faster way in and out of downtown Atlanta. Over the past 40 years, commuters have funneled into Sandy Springs from Cobb County to access GA 400 and I-285 along residential roads never designed to handle the traffic volume. In the mid- 1990s, the problem became more acute when Cobb County widened Johnson Ferry Road north of the river to six lanes, creating a bottleneck at the bridge to Sandy Springs.
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and Fulton County sought to widen the Sandy Springs roads to accommodate increased demand. Traffic volume on the Johnson Ferry Road Bridge at the river was 47,000 daily trips in 2006, a number estimated to increase to 60,000 in 2026; daily trips along Abernathy Road were 25,000 in 2006, estimated to increase to 34,600 by 2026. Funding, neighborhood resistance, and other issues delayed any action.
By 2001 federal funding became available. GDOT worked with Fulton County and local community groups to develop the road plan and create a 20-acre greenway to buffer the surrounding neighborhoods. With incorporation, the new City government took a pro-active position on the greenway project. In 2007, the City adopted a master plan for the new Abernathy Greenway and GDOT commenced road construction.
SSC and a coalition of neighborhoods are working with the City to bring the master plan to completion. The Abernathy Greenway Steering Committee neighborhoods include Brandon Mill Woods, Breakwater, Laurian Woods, Lost Forest, Mt. Vernon Woods, North Harbor, Telfair, Whispering Pines, Woodcliff,North Springs and Wyndham Hills.
The Greenway master plan calls for perimeter fencing to protect homes on each side of the project, lighted walking trails, a toddler playground with bathrooms and small shade pavilion, gardens, patios and plazas. Although perimeter fencing and some plantings will be placed on the south side of Abernathy Road, the primary focus has been on completing the north side amenities. Construction on the Greenway began in 2009. Estimated completion date for the north side is 4Q 2012.
Protecting the Abernathy Oaks
- The Abernathy Oak Tree