By Brent Huff
SMAWG (South Moreland Avenue Working Group) held their bi-monthly meeting with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT), and the Atlanta Police Department on September 13th. Here are some highlights from the meeting.
Zone 6 Commander, Major Andrea Webster, said they are continuing to get data from the Speed Limit Feedback signs installed this spring. The Georgia State Patrol will now be assisting in enhanced speeding enforcement on Moreland Avenue, based on peak speeding times. She also noted that speeding between I-20 and Custer appears to be down, while speeding south of Custer has increased.
The six concrete medianettes which were installed this summer are having their intended effect, despite numerous drivers hitting them and knocking down the signs:
- Cars are slowing because the lanes feel tighter
- Cars can no longer use the center lane as a travel lane
- Pedestrians now have a safety island to get across Moreland. The stretch of road near the fast-food outlets had three pedestrian fatalities over the last 24 months, and the medianettes are intended to help with this.
We learned that GDOT’s State Safety Office is designing four crosswalks across Moreland Avenue. These will include PHB/Hawk Signals to stop traffic. The project is set to be put out for contract in May 2024, and will take around 18 months to complete. The locations are:
- Between Faith Avenue and Sanders Avenue (Wendy’s to Metropolitan Avenue)
- Lynwyn Drive (Halidom building to south of Kroger)
- Between Custer Avenue and Moreland Drive (Aldi to the Value Village development)
- Isa Drive (Thomasville Heights to the Key Road Neighborhoods)
The I-20/Moreland Avenue Interchange reconfiguration is moving forward. The loop exit ramp off I-20 west will be made into a straight exit. Northbound Moreland traffic will make a left turn to get onto I-20 westbound. It’s a big project which is set to be put out for contract in the 3rd quarter of 2024 and is expected to take 18 months to complete.
The United Avenue and Skyhaven Road alignment has run into some delays due to right-of-way acquisition. The intention is to align the roads and add left turn lanes for both southbound and northbound Moreland Avenue traffic. The plan is delayed until July 2024 as they work through these challenges.
The Moreland Avenue sidewalk project is still slated for 2024. $2 million in T-SPLOST funds are committed to replacing approximately two miles of sidewalks along Moreland Avenue. They are currently assessing the sidewalks most in need of repair and replacement.
