GDOT Planning Safety Improvements on Some Northeast GA State Routes
Chevron signs like these will be added to curves on some State roads in NE Georgia this fall
Working to reduce crashes, the Georgia Department of Transportation will begin a major effort on some Northeast Georgia roads to make those roads safer for motorists by beefing up safety efforts in curves.
According to GDOT spokesperson Teri Pope, engineers have compiled a list of highways with frequent crashes, especially during wet weather.
“GDOT engineers looked at the locations where we were having a lot of crashes during wet weather incidents,” Pope said. “That tells us that there may be a lot of traction concerns and it also tells us that the area might have curves that the motorists are not seeing soon enough.”
Pope said engineers rode those highways to determine the severity of each curve.
That curve data and the posted speed limits were then compared to National Standards, which then became the basis for this project.
After that, Pope said engineers then developed speed limits for those curves.
Pope said GDOT will be installing new signs and striping in those curves.
“We’re going to add additional reflective pavement markers in the center of the roadway, we’re also going to refresh and redo all of the striping on those roads on the side of the roads and the centerline striping, Pope said. “We are also going to add chevron signs in the curves of the roads which will be eye level and easier for motorists to see.”
In Franklin, Hart and Banks counties, most of the work will be done on stretches of SR51 from Commerce to Hartwell.
In Banks County – 2 sections of State Route 51 will be redone totaling 0.36 miles; 1.23 miles of SR51 will be improved for safety in Franklin County, and in Hart County, .56 miles of SR51 and one section of SR77 will have curve improvements done.
Work is also planned in Madison County on SR172 and in Rabun and Towns counties on SR2/US76.
In addition to the signs, Pope said they will also be making improvements to the pavement.
“We will also be taking up and replacing the asphalt in the curves with a newer mix that will provide more traction for motorists,” Pope said.
The work was let last week to Triangle Grading and Paving Inc. of Burlington, North Carolina for a construction cost of $3,155,040.84.
Work is expected to begin in the fall with a completion date of June 30th 2016.