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Consultants present Wildcat Area Plan with 20‑year transportation recommendations for Holly Springs interchange
Summary
Christina Pastor of Kimberly Horn and Associates presented the Wildcat Area Plan recommending intersection realignments, added lanes, a new I‑575 crossing and active‑transportation improvements to unlock development in the southeast quadrant; staff urged partners to begin design and funding strategy work, with some projects spread over a 20‑year horizon.
Christina Pastor, a planner with Kimberly Horn and Associates, told the Holly Springs City Council on May 19 that the Wildcat Area Plan identifies a package of transportation and development recommendations to improve connectivity around the I‑575 interchange and support future redevelopment.
Pastor said the study, which began in 2024, focused on the southeast quadrant of the interchange but also examined the southwest quadrant. She identified four physical constraints: U.S. Army Corps property near Lake Allatoona along Little River, a cemetery north of the interchange, Interstate 575 to the west and a railroad to the east. Those constraints informed a set of transportation solutions aimed at addressing existing congestion and enabling a mix of office, retail and hotel uses on the east side and medical office and light industrial uses on the west.
On the transportation side, the plan recommends realigning the Sixes Road/Holly Springs Parkway intersection so Sixes becomes the through movement, widening Holly Springs Parkway and Main Street to two lanes in each direction with medians, and adding a new connection across I‑575 to tie Wellstar Way and a proposed North Rope Mill Road to Sixes Road. The plan also proposes local one‑way sections, slip lanes from I‑575 to new local connectors, and improved active‑transportation facilities including side paths and sidewalks coordinated with the county trail master plan.
Pastor showed modeled results for three scenarios: existing conditions, a 2044 'no‑build' growth projection, and the proposed transportation improvements alone and combined with development. She said the 'no‑build' scenario produced widespread degraded levels of service but that implementing the recommended transportation investments would bring intersections to acceptable levels (roughly LOS C or D). Adding the conceptual development increases traffic somewhat but, according to the consultant, the network would still operate at a minimum of LOS D — avoiding LOS E or F in the modeled case.
On costs and timing, Pastor described planning‑level cost estimates that include preliminary engineering, environmental screening, right‑of‑way and utility relocation. The team used 2025 baseline costs and applied 3–5% annual inflation assumptions for projects with year‑of‑expenditure anywhere from 7 to 20 years out. Pastor said funding will likely require a mix of local sources, formula state and federal funds, competitive federal grants, and public‑private partnerships. She urged partner adoption of the plan and development of a memorandum of agreement to coordinate funding and delivery, and singled out the Holly Springs Parkway at Sixes Road intersection as the most critical near‑term project for design and right‑of‑way work.
Council members asked about the 20‑year timeline and federal environmental reviews. Pastor said some projects could be completed earlier if funding is available, but federal funds and interstate work will require coordination with GDOT and Federal Highway and may lengthen schedules.
The presentation concluded with Pastor inviting questions and emphasizing the plan is an analysis of what the land and transportation system can support, not a final development plan.
