Work is expected to begin this week to make Krog Street Tunnel’s problematic, periodic flooding a thing of the past—but not before road closures that could create logjams for commuters on all types of wheels.
Positioned between Cabbagetown and Inman Park/Old Fourth Ward, the iconic tunnel is a crucial link between Wylie Street and the major intown thoroughfare that is DeKalb Avenue, where a city-led “groundbreaking” held a year ago has still not resulted in the dangerous, pothole-ridden road being repaved, though some safety upgrades have been completed.
According to Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management, contractor Ruby-Collins Inc. will begin phase one of stormwater upgrades and improvements on the Krog Street Tunnel on Tuesday.
The work consists of installing new stormwater pipeline and inlets in the tunnel to mitigate flooding. That phase is expected to wrap in December.
City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management
A second phase of the $5.2-million project to provide capacity relief for a storm line that runs beneath the tunnel is scheduled to start in late 2022 and finish in the spring, per the Department of Watershed Management.
Throughout the construction period, DeKalb Avenue will be partially closed in the area, and the Krog Street Tunnel’s southbound lane will be closed for two weeks for pipeline construction. Exactly when hasn’t been specified, but the majority of work is expected to take place at night.
New lanes installed to allow for timed vehicle left turns at Krog Street.City of Atlanta; Renew Atlanta/2020
As for the broader updating of DeKalb Avenue, Watershed Management officials reported earlier this month that traffic signal work at several intersections between Jackson Street (near downtown Atlanta) and Rockyford Road (near the Decatur city line) has been completed. That includes “upgraded technology for timing coordination and left-turn signals for safer intersection crossings,” per the city.
When pressed about DeKalb Avenue’s repaving and safety upgrades by a constituent recently, Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari (District 5) said issues with funding, procurement, and contracts falling through have impacted project timelines.
As of early September, Bakhtiari said, the city expected DeKalb Avenue repaving efforts to begin sometime this winter.
The full scope of the Dekalb Avenue project plans, as detailed by the city three years ago.
City of Atlanta; Renew Atlanta/2020
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