Dunwoody is about to get a lot more bicycle-friendly.

The city embarked on its initiative to add lanes along a half-mile stretch of Mount Vernon Road last week.

The project, scheduled to be completed in September, calls for widening the 30-foot roadway by two feet from Ashford Dunwoody Road west to Ridgeview Road, near the Sandy Springs border. Five feet on each side of the road will be marked for bike lanes.

While the endeavor has spurred praise from cycling enthusiasts, city officials acknowledge that it has also spawned some criticism from motorists peeved at having to give up space on busy roadways and homeowners whose properties are in the vicinity of the targeted area.

“As for the information regarding the opposition, the city created the Comprehensive Transportation Plan based on input and feedback received from the public, as well as, an extensive study of the city’s existing infrastructure,” said Dunwoody Public Works Director Michael Smith. “We are going to do our best to provide updated information on the city website and on Twitter.”

There will be periodic lane closures on Mount Vernon Road between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday as road crews carry out their assigned tasks.

“The city recognized the need to create an environment that accommodated a variety of users including motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and all other forms of active transportation,” Smith said. “We are now putting that plan into action showing our commitment to creating a clean, healthy environment for present and future generations.”

The endeavor is in line with Dunwoody’s Complete Streets Policy, which entails adding sidewalks and bike paths accordingly.

The cost of the project is $400,000, with all the funding coming out of the city’s paving and sidewalk capital funds, Smith noted.

The bike lanes campaign comes at a time when Dunwoody is on the cusp of another high-profile make-over of sorts.

City council recently agreed to terms with the developer selected to orchestrate the Renaissance Project, a redevelopment campaign targeting the Georgetown area.

That initiative aims to develop 35 acres of land on North Shallowford Road — the city’s 16-acre PVC farm and the 19-acre former Emory Hospital site — into residential properties.

In addition to the 100-plus residential units to be built, Dunwoody is also expected to gain around 30,000 square feet in commercial space, a couple of small parks. A larger path from the partially developed tract in Georgetown all the way to Brook Run may also be implemented.