By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

A new traffic light — and the relocation of an existing one — are expected to help relieve congestion on the western leg of Ga. Highway 54 in Peachtree City.

The lights in that area will eventually be synchronized with other nearby lights on a fiber optic system, said Peachtree City planner David Rast. The city will be responsible for laying the network for that system, Rast added.

The new signal will be at Marketplace Boulevard. It will be erected by Cousins Properties before The Avenue retail project opens up, Rast said.

A Cousins spokesman said some of the stores at The Avenue might open by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, the traffic light currently at the entrance to the Wynnmeade subdivision on Hwy. 54 will eventually be relocated to the Hwy. 54/McDuff Parkway intersection, Rast said. That light must be up and running before the first residence is occupied at Line Creek Apartments or the Cedarcroft subdivision, Rast added.

The city has not decided what to do about the Wynnmeade entrance once the light is moved. The city has surveyed Wynnmeade homeowners in an attempt to judge what their wishes are, said city spokesman Betsy Tyler.

One solution would be to alter the intersection so that cars could exit only to the right. That makes sense, said Rast, because Hwy. 54 eventually will be widened and a median will prevent motorists from turning left.

Another option is to close the entrance entirely and create a cul-de-sac there, leaving the McDuff Parkway connection as the only way in and out for Wynnmeade residents. If that is done, the city would use the old landscaped entrance for a park, replacing property that had been designated for a park but was used for the MacDuff Parkway project instead, Rast said.

Also, a traffic light on Hwy. 54 at Willowbend Road near City Hall is coming in the immediate future. The city is waiting for delivery of the poles for the lights, which have been delayed, Rast said.
That light will be erected as soon as the poles come in, said Jim Williams, the city’s director of developmental services.