With the afternoon sun shining down on them, University and city officials celebrated the completion of the College Station Road Gateway Project on Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the University Visitors Center.

The project, begun in April, is the result of a combined initiative between the unified government of Athens-Clarke County and the University to create a gateway entrance to South Campus from the city’s perimeter, Ga. Highway 10.

The project’s approximate cost of $1.6 million is shared by the University, the Athens area Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and the Georgia Department of Transportation, each footing roughly one-third of the total bill, according to A-C Transportation and Public Works Director David Clark.

The newly completed corridor of College Station Road extends from Riverbend Road to East Campus Drive.

Changes to the road include new bike lanes, curbs, improved gutter and drainage systems, as well as extensive landscaping along College Station Road.

The project initially was proposed in 1994, according to Clark, predating the construction and increased volume of traffic

attributed to current East Campus buildings, such as the Ramsey Center and the Performing and Visual Arts Complex.

"I think it’s going to allow people to identify better where we start," said Visitors Center Director Fran Lane. "I think sometimes people have a problem finding us. This will facilitate folks’ entry into the University campus."

Mayor Doc Eldridge addressed the assembled crowd with an anecdote of his childhood in Athens, recalling how he used to ride his bike down College Station Road.

Eldridge said he could not imagine sending his own son down the same stretch of road today.

"This is now a major corridor in our town," Eldridge said, noting the degree of growth that has occurred along College Station Road since the early 1960s.

The result of the Gateway Project, according to Eldridge, is another example of the A-C unified government and the University finding ways to work together for the betterment of the community.

"I think it’s a great way to welcome visitors and prospective students to our campus," said Caroline Knox, a senior from Thomson. "And it comes at a fitting time to let those Volunteers know they’re in Dawg Country."