Fort Gordon reached another milestone speaking to the installation’s growth and mission capabilities.
Dozens of Fort Gordon personnel and members of surrounding communities gathered on Oct. 22 to celebrate the long-awaited completion of Gate 6. The gate officially opened to the public the next morning at 4:45 a.m.
Brig. Gen. Paul T. Stanton, Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon commanding general, said that the gate’s opening was a testament to the power of “teamwork, dedication and efficient planning.
“We’re winning today as we have tangible and measurable proof of taking a vision and driving it to an outcome,” Stanton said.
Located about one mile from Gate 2, on the northwest corner of post, Gate 6 was designed to better support Fort Gordon’s infrastructure and surrounding communities as they continue to grow at a rapid pace.
With six inbound lanes, two separate outbound lanes, and a commercial gate that can “que up 13 tractor trailers without blocking a single lane of traffic,” the estimated $36 million project triples the capacity of any other gate on the installation. Furthermore – and unlike other gates – the entry road between Gate 6 and the highway is approximately 1.5 mile long, which helps ease traffic congestion by reducing the amount of traffic on Gordon Highway.
“People that are just trying to get to their jobs that don’t even work on Fort Gordon won’t suffer the congestion,” Stanton said. “The lanes from Gordon Highway to this gate is sufficiently long to handle all residual traffic – we are removing the backup from one of both counties’ main thoroughfares.”
One of the communities most affected by the gate and Fort Gordon’s growth is Grovetown. Speaking on behalf of the City of Grovetown, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Blair said he that just 10 years ago, the city’s population was around 11,000. Today, it sits around 17,300, and shows no signs of slowing down.
“This year we’ve seen plans and permits pulled for 368 new single family homes, 261 townhomes, and 32 apartments,” Blair said. “Many of those who call the City of Grovetown their home is due in fact because of the tremendous growth that’s taking place right here at Fort Gordon.”
The mayor pro tem went on to express his appreciation for having a “great military community” as neighbors, adding that with growth comes a need to adapt.
“The City of Grovetown applauds the efforts and energy of all involved that had a hand in completing this project that affects not only the city, but the installation,” Blair said.
Gate 1 remains open 24/7, but is now only accessible by DoD ID cardholders and authorized AIE pass holders. Gate 6 serves as the new main access control point and is also open 24/7.
The Visitor Control Center (VCC) at Gate 1 is permanently closed and has been replaced by a new state-of-the-art VCC at Gate 6. All visitors/non-DoD cardholders must go to the new VCC at Gate 6. The VCC hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The VCC is closed on Sunday.
Anyone who previously used Gate 2 as their main entry point is asked to consider using Gate 6.
“Everybody has to change their commute patterns, so there will be a little friction in the beginning, but I think as capacity builds at Gate 6 over the coming weeks and months, I think we’re going to see it’s going to be a net gain for us,” said Fort Gordon Garrison Commander Col. Shaw Pick.
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