Gwinnett To Build New Home For State Troopers, HERO Units

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Georgia state troopers and HERO motorist assistance personnel will move into new quarters next year at a former rest area on Interstate 85, courtesy of Gwinnett County. The county's Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $5.2 million contract to build a Georgia State Patrol post and HERO unit station on the site of a former I-85 rest area in Suwanee, according to a county statement.

The contract, with Carroll Daniel Construction Co. of Gainesville, calls for a 10,797 square-foot building that will house command staff offices, day rooms for troopers and HEROs, classroom space, evidence storage and a dormitory for 16 troopers.

Gwinnett County agreed in 2017 to pay for the new building’s design and construction. County officials anticipate the building will open in spring 2020.

The Georgia Department of Transportation owns the 12-acre property along I-85, just north of Lawrenceville Suwanee Road. The rest area closed in 2005 and has been used as a storage area, according to the county.

The site's entrance and exit will be on Old Peachtree Road.

State troopers have been working from leased space on Pleasant Hill Road since 2013, said Commissioner Jace Brooks. “We’re proud to help build this new facility and glad the state patrol unit will have a permanent home here in Gwinnett County,” he said.

GDOT will continue to own the rest area property, but will lease it to the Georgia Department of Public Safety in exchange for housing HERO assistance units at the new facility, the county said.

The HEROs (Highway Emergency Response Operators) lead GDOT's effort to cut down congestion on the state's highways. They respond quickly to incidents and clear the roads so normal traffic flow can be restored.

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Image: Georgia Department of Public Safety