Georgia’s SR 400 expansion is a $4.6B project to rebuild 16 miles of highway — nearly $290M per mile, making it one of the most expensive in the U.S. The project is a 50-year public-private partnership: a group called Peach Partners will design, build, operate, and maintain the toll lanes. They take on the financial risk — and stand to profit if traffic is heavy — while also locking in a non-compete clause that blocks competing road or transit projects in the corridor for decades.
The toll lanes are being built inside the existing highway footprint, threading through medians and shoulders. This avoids property takings but makes construction more complex and costly. Since Peach Partners is responsible for maintenance until the 2070s, they’re investing upfront in longer-lasting materials and pavement.
A Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) component for MARTA is included — a rare transit win — but it’s a small slice of a car-dominated project. While this upgrade addresses a needed infrastructure challenge, it also reinforces Atlanta’s car dependency since adding lanes rarely solves congestion long-term. Instead, it invites more cars (induced demand), leading to more traffic, not less.
Cars are space-inefficient — most carry just one person, yet take up lots of room. They’re also expensive to support at scale: each trip depends on personal vehicles, fuel, and ongoing road maintenance. Pouring billions into expanding highway capacity doubles down on the most land-, resource-, and cost-intensive way to travel, while alternatives like public transit, bike lanes, and walkable design remain underfunded.
So, Is this a genuine step toward a smarter, more sustainable transportation future — or just an expensive band-aid stuck on a decades-old problem?
