The Georgia Department of Transportation is proposing that the intersection of Ga. Hwy. 211 and Ga. Hwy. 124 in Barrow County be widened to accommodate growing traffic demands in the area.
The plan calls for a four-lane, divided highway at the intersection, between the I-85 northbound ramps and Hamilton State Bank on Hwy. 211, and between property zoned for commercial and industrial uses on Hwy. 124.
The intersection is a prime spot for retail projects and hotels planned in the area. Chateau Elan is located across the interstate from the intersection.
The DOT estimates that 6,800 vehicles a day traveling along Hwy. 124 passed the intersection in 2007, and 20,000 vehicles on Hwy. 211 traveled through the intersection each day last year. Those figures are expected to almost double by 2031.
Revamping the intersection to accommodate traffic changes for the next 20 years has an estimated price tag of $5.5 million.
However, progress on the project hinges on the availability of state transportation funds.
“If the money is there, we’ll be able to make this happen in a reasonable amount of time,” said Robert Mahoney, DOT district preconstruction engineer. “I would say that a good contractor could build this project in 15 to 18 months.”
And if that happens, it’s expected that the project will be constructed in 2010. A park-and-ride spot for commuters at the intersection will be closed when construction starts.
The DOT is slated to buy 18 pieces of rights-of-way for the project. Sharon Baptist Church will probably feel the greatest impact of the project with a new driveway proposed behind its cemetery on Hwy. 124.
“We have very minimal impact, in terms of rights-of-way,” Mahoney said. The DOT is willing to tweak its plans for the church, he added.
The project isn’t just about improving traffic flow at the intersection, it’s also about safety. The DOT says 12 accidents occurred at the intersection between 2004-2006. The project also includes sidewalks along the state highways.
The DOT will take public input on the project until Sept. 19. For more information and maps of the project, visit “Public Outreach” under the “Public Information” page at www.dot.state.ga.us.
I know it costs taxpayer money, but Winder is the "log-jam" capital of the South. Just ask anyone who travels these roads on a daily basis, or gets stuck in the middle of an intersection because an 18-wheeler cannot negotiate a narrow turn.
DuWayne R. Anderson
Winder, GA