Board: traffic on Highway 278 stems from DeKalb County utility work; city urges patience and posts construction updates

Avondale Estates officials told residents at the July 10 meeting that a cluster of overlapping projects and DeKalb County utility repairs are the primary cause of current congestion on Highway 278, and urged patience while county crews complete repairs.

The Mayor Pro Tem said city staff are publishing a "living construction update" on the city website and posting multiple social-media notices weekly to direct residents to that page. She explained that DeKalb Watershed crews identified a collapsed underground pipe and later another leak in the area where the city had planned to start its 278 Complete Street work; that county crews are repairing and installing a new main that is the main cause of lane closures and flagging; and that flaggers allowing one direction at a time are creating bunching of traffic during peak periods.

Officials said the city has hired off-duty police officers for traffic control in coordination with the county and is monitoring the situation; they said they hoped DeKalb County's line replacement would finish by the end of the following week but emphasized they could not guarantee that schedule.

Board members stressed the project has been part of the adopted downtown master plan for years and was approved by multiple boards and commissions; they asked residents to direct complaints about the county-controlled work to the county and to use the city's construction update to plan alternate routes. Commissioners also urged residents to continue patronizing downtown small businesses while work is under way.