The area off of Browns Bridge Road where the new Walmart supercenter will be built is nearly completely cleared out and ready for construction.

The Walmart is set to open in June 2017, about ten years after it was first planned to be built. The area is 38 acres total, and it will include 759 parking spaces. When it is complete, the site will include a fuel station, several commercial lots for retail establishments and water facilities, as well as the parking spots and the store itself. It is estimated that 21 of the area’s 38 acres will be taken up by the store alone.

About 300 jobs will be created for the Walmart. Around half of those jobs will be full-time, and the average wage of those jobs is said to be $13.90 per hour.

Additionally, the Ga. 400-Hwy. 369 crossing has plans to become an interchange which will be known as Exit 18. It is expected to be finished by late spring in 2018.

Most residents are happy with the upcoming changes, but some people view them with distaste. Mary Bullerdick is a Forsyth County resident who is not content with the construction. “I am not in favor of the new Walmart. I think it will create a lot of traffic on Highway 369. We already have a Walmart at Exit 14 and up in Dawsonville,” Bullerdick says.

Another Forsyth county resident and Walmart-enthusiast Jeannette Hargis shares her opinion on the new Walmart and road changes. “I’m looking forward to it. It will be way more convenient to go here than driving to Dawsonville all the time,” she says. “I really love it… I get excited when I go to Walmart.“

Teachers and students of NFHS that drive also have mixed feelings about the road changes, especially concerning the extra traffic that it can potentially bring along. Some people may not like the changes at first, but most will find it convenient to have another grocery store nearby.