ATLANTA — Shevon King moved to Atlanta during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, she's seen growth on every corner, especially where she lives and works in West Midtown.
"The traffic has increased tremendously," King said. "We've had a lot of new construction come up in the last few years. But the traffic has been the biggest pain point. Every time I'm crossing the street, I'm risking my life."
The traffic is a royal pain for King, so much so she feels it's quicker to walk the mile to work than drive. Her trip could get a lot smoother soon after a few months of construction headaches.
Work is currently underway to improve the two-and-a-half mile Howell Mill Road corridor from Collier Road to West Marietta Street. It's part of the Howell Mill Complete Street project. Atlanta City Council approved $21.5 million to go toward the the project back in September. Construction began in December.
So far, crews have repaved part of Howell Mill Road down by Collier Road, according to a progress report the city's department of transportation released back in May. New medians and sidewalks have also been installed near the Collier Road end of Howell Mill. Crews still need to work their way down toward West Marietta Street when it comes to repaving and add new traffic light upgrades. Plans call for improving drainage and relocating power, gas, cable and other utility lines as well.
It's a lot to take in for Wayne, who owns a food truck called Winner's Taste. He has faith the construction will make for a winning formula to draw more business and opportunity to an already-growing part of town.
"It looks like it’s getting better. The roads are getting better out here," Wayne said. "Whoever’s doing the construction, it looks like it’s getting better. There are a lot of horns blowing out here. A lot of people are impatient, which I don't know why. That's them, but you're going to get there eventually."
King said the city must make more traffic upgrades and infrastructure expansion efforts to accommodate growth. The Howell Mill Road Complete Street Project is expected to be completed by late 2026.
"I definitely want to see the traffic just be controlled a little better from traffic signs, pedestrian walkways," King said. "I do have a car, but I avoid driving during specific times of the day just because of how hard it is to get here. Welcome to Atlanta."