If there’s one thing that Braselton town manager Jennifer Dees wants motorists to know this week, it’s pay attention to signs alerting folks of traffic changes.
That’s because the town is slated to wrap up its realignment of Ga. Hwy. 124 at the intersection of Ga. Hwy. 53 in downtown Braselton in about a week.
But until all of the finishing touches are installed, Dees said that motorists should be aware that temporary traffic changes will continue as crews work on the road project.
“Right now, it looks like it’ll be a week delayed,” Dees said on Tuesday.
Braselton’s realignment of Ga. Hwy. 124 — which will now be located behind the Braselton Brothers Store — was slated to be finished at the end of May.
The town’s general contractor for the project, Gary’s Grading, installed asphalt on one segment of the new alignment — from Ga. Hwy. 53 to Broadway Avenue — last week. However, asphalt on the other segment — from Ga. Hwy. 53 behind the store to Davis Street — wasn’t installed this week because of a malfunction at the plant that supplies asphalt, according to Dees.
The new path will create a new intersection at Ga. Hwy. 53 with a traffic light and will connect to the new alignment of Broadway Avenue (Ga. Hwy. 124) — a second major project in Braselton that is being spearheaded by Jackson County. The two projects have also led to several road name changes in Braselton.
Dees said the new traffic signal is slated to start blinking in a test mode this week. Meanwhile, other changes in the area will create the need for various temporary closures of the existing Ga. Hwy. 124 in downtown during construction.
She cautioned drivers to be mindful of signs alerting motorists of the changes — which could happen on a daily, and possibly even hourly, basis during the final week of the road project.
The Georgia Department of Transportation has OK’d the delay in the project because of the asphalt shortage, Dees said. The state agency is funding $750,000 of the total $1.79 million price tag for the new road alignment. The remainder is funded by sales tax revenue.
The town plans to demolish the existing path of Ga. Hwy. 124 — in front of the Braselton Brothers Store — to create a town green. However, that project won’t get started until the town green is designed, Dees said. A firm hired by the town is slated to meet with stakeholders and the public to get ideas for the town green before designing the project.
Meanwhile, the town is also working a streetscape project for downtown Braselton and the reconfiguration of the town-owned Braselton Brothers Store.
