It didn't take Gwinnett District 1 Commissioner Shirley Lasseter long Tuesday to put the McGinnis Ferry Road/I-85 project in perspective.

"It takes me straight to my daughter's house," Lasseter said in Suwanee as county and state officials gathered for the formal dedication of the project that opened in August. Work began on the $20.4 million effort in 2009.

"I-85 crosses the heart of my district, and it challenges us to find new ways to cross it," Lasseter continued.

Charlotte Nash, Mike Beaudreau, John Heard and Lynette Howard were the other Gwinnett commissioners who joined Lasseter at Tuesday's ribbon-cutting. Also present was Dan Foster, Suwanee City Council member, and various county and state transportation officials. The event was at McGinnis Ferry Road and Celebration Drive, formerly Gwinco Boulevard, near the bridge over I-85.

Gwinnett SPLOST funds were used in the design phase.