Traffic control devices shouldn’t be an issue along the widening section of Ga. 347 /Friendship near the new hospital and The Village at Deaton Creek in South Hall County.
Residents of Deaton Creek voiced worry that exiting their community would be impossible without a traffic light especially when the Northeast Georgia Health System adds a 100-bed hospital on its River Place property next door.
No representatives from the Georgia Department of Transportation were at the meeting but hospital representatives said they were working closely with GDOT.
“There will be signals at both locations, but there is a distinction,” said Teri N. Pope, Communications Officer for the Georgia Department of Transportation’s District One – Northeast Georgia. She responded to questions posed by this writer after the Deaton Creek meeting.
The signals are all about timing, she said.
“We didn’t want a signal to be up and bagged and sitting there for months or maybe even longer than a year at the hospital’s driveway,” said Pope.
That signal is approved, Pope says, but is not a part of the road project.
“It is part of their commercial driveway permit and will be put up just prior to their opening,” said Pope. “There is one new signal approved in the construction project and that is at Deaton’s Creek entrance,” said Pope, who notes these are currently the only new signals on the corridor east of I-985.
Related to funding questions raised at the meeting, there are construction funds allotted for both phases of the road widening and realignment. Acquisition of right-of-way, however, could present a timing issue for funding on one segment.
On the west of I-985 out to McEver Road, right-of-way acquisition is complete so that project is scheduled for letting in April.
On the east side which stretches to Highway 211, however, right-of-way acquisition is continuing with 227of the needed 257 properties obtained.
“Right-of-way acquisition is taking longer than expected,” said Pope. “We still have 30 to finish negotiations and close.”
The project is set for a June letting so those acquisitions must be completed by the end of April to make it into Fiscal Year 2012.
“We are working diligently to finish acquisition,” said Pope. If the project isn’t let in June then “funding is up in the air because funding is in FY 12 not FY 13.”
Another uncertainty is the number of lanes from Spout Springs Road to Old Winder Highway.
“The new section in front of Deaton Creek and the new hospital is currently four lanes but could go to six,” said Pope. “We aren’t sure yet. It started as four lanes in each direction but traffic volume projections are showing it might need six lanes.
Pope said GDOT is still working with the Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on a final decision.
The road project will be enhanced by a 10-foot wide multi-use trail on each side of Ga. 347/Friendship Road for its full length from Interstate 985 to Highway 211.
