Friday, July 13, 2001
Friday, July 13, 2001 |
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Latest traffic numbers for Hwy. 54 West indicate trouble brewing at new stoplight for The Avenue
By JOHN
MUNFORD
The latest traffic analysis of the Ga. Highway 54 West corridor shows one intersection is close to "failing" by nearly creating a delay of one minute for passing motorists. The intersection serving The Avenue and Marketplace retail centers "is right on the verge and almost anything will put it over," said Jim Williams, Peachtree City's Director of Developmental Services. "The new developments have taken up almost all of the projected capacity of the highway," Williams said. The city's traffic impact ordinance requires traffic studies on any new development proposed for the Hwy. 54 area. If a study shows the development's projected traffic will degrade traffic in the area, the development cannot proceed unless road improvements are built at the developer's expense to counteract the projected traffic increase. The Avenue intersection can't be improved much more beyond the addition of two lanes to the nearby railroad bridge, Williams said. Estimates for that work reached $800,000, but officials from the state Department of Transportation have said they would prefer that project be performed by the DOT, Williams added. The traffic light serving The Avenue and Marketplace is the most recent addition of traffic lights to Hwy. 54 West. Another traffic light will be erected in the future almost directly across from Planterra Way to serve the Wal-Mart and Home Depot retail center. And the relocation of the Wynnmeade Parkway traffic light to MacDuff Parkway is expected to be completed in the next two weeks. The latest traffic study of Hwy. 54 West included current traffic and estimated traffic for future projects including the recently approved Wal-Mart and Home Depot retail center and the proposed 107-home subdivision north of Wynnmeade. It also factors in traffic coming from other developments as far away as the industrial park and the Promenade retail center on the other end of town on Hwy. 54, Williams said. The study also confirmed the city's traffic projections made over a year ago for developments which hadn't even opened at the time, Williams added. "It's nice to find out we were pretty much on target," Williams said.
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