Douglas County officials cut ribbon on $20 million-plus Lee Road widening

Douglas County officials and transportation partners on June 5 held a ribbon-cutting to mark completion of Phase 2 of the Lee Road widening, a roughly three-mile expansion the county said cost more than $20 million.

"This project ... is a generational investment," said Suleiman Rana, the county’s managing director of transportation services, thanking county staff, contractors and regional partners for delivering the work. Rana told attendees the county has two additional Lee Road phases under design immediately north and south of the current terminus.

Yvette Jones, the county’s chief communications officer, opened the ceremony and introduced speakers. Chair Ramona Jackson Jones said the project represented decades of local need — calling the widening the result of a 40-year effort — and contrasted it with an earlier temporary $500,000 repair that county leaders used to keep the road passable.

"Today is more than temporary," Chair Ramona Jackson Jones said. "This is permanent, and it will advance the future for our county and the commute for our residents."

Paul Dennard, a district engineer with GDOT (the Georgia Department of Transportation), described the work as a local-Let partnership — a model that pairs county and state resources across design, right-of-way and construction. He acknowledged contractor CMS and construction inspection firm Jacobs for on-site work.

Commissioners who spoke at the event credited sustained board support and staff leadership. District 2 Commissioner Whitney Kenneth Jones said she inherited the project, pressed for continued federal and state funding for later phases and noted that U.S. Representative Kimberly Alexander had been a proponent but was unable to attend because of a family bereavement. Commissioner Kelly Robinson praised Rana’s leadership and GDOT’s partnership, and Commissioner Martin Roxton called the project a "game changer" for residents.

County Administrator Dr. David Corbin emphasized collaboration across commissions and departments, noting that large infrastructure projects sometimes span multiple administrations but leave a lasting legacy.

Officials said the widening aims to improve mobility and reduce congestion as Douglas County grows. They encouraged continued regional coordination and additional funding to complete the next two design phases. The ceremony concluded with a countdown and the ceremonial ribbon cut.