Healthgate Drive as you leave campus (NDB is on the left). Yoda says, “Block not do.”
After over a year of traffic congestion caused by the “J Wing” construction project, there is some relief. Healthgate Drive, the short but important road that passes between the North Decatur Building and the Lowergate South parking deck, opened Monday and, so far, all seems to be going well. Up until recently, this was a gated road used only by the Emory Police.
Currently, you cannot exit the Lowergate South parking deck onto Healthgate. You must still exit by the Law School. However, there are now two lanes, one for turning left and one for turning right on to Gambrell.
Leaving campus on Healthgate Drive, you can turn east or west. Entering campus you can only turn when driving west and turning right onto Heathgate.
First announced in 2016, Healthgate Drive is part of the Clifton Streetscape project, which is scheduled to be completely finished this summer.
According to the project charter, “These enhancements are being made to improve the patient experience at Emory Healthcare, and to provide enhanced access for thousands of Emory University and Emory Healthcare staff, students, faculty, patients, and visitors who travel on Clifton Road each day.”
The opening of Healthgate Drive gives staff and patients a much-needed additional artery onto North Decatur Road, and will hopefully help ease the daily bottleneck of traffic on Clifton Road.