The Georgia Department of Transportation is proposing to construct a roundabout at the intersection of SR 67/Fair Road and Veterans Memorial Parkway, as well as medians between the signalized intersections on Fair Road.
Multiple safety concerns were highlighted in the Road Safety Audit conducted by an independent, multidisciplinary team of experts, who drafted designs that the city is considered to implement to remediate the issues.
John Washington, Director of Public Works and Engineering for the City of Statesboro, presented the GDOT suggestions from the Roadway Safety Audit at the May 21, 2024 work session.
The introduction of a two-lane traffic circle at the intersection of the bypass and Fair Road is supported by the Mayor and Council, with the encouragement of Washington who says from a traffic, pedestrian and vehicle safety standpoint, the proposed plan offers relief to the highlighted concerns.
A roundabout would slow the highly trafficked area down and lower the risks of potentially fatal T-bone crashes; Washington says there is still potential for accidents but as they would be lower speed and more angled, they are likely to be less severe.
“The bypass is to help move traffic around our community, it is an asset,” commented City Manager Charles Penny, further expressing his concerns that people use it like they would I-16. “You're taking a chance every time you get on it,” he said.
Numerous conflict points or potential crash zones were identified outside of the Fair Road/Bypass intersection, such as commercial and standard driveways that directly enter and exit Fair Road, as well as roads like Georgia Avenue, Grady Johnson Road, and Rushing Lane that are impacted by the high traffic nature of the route. Left turning points at non-signalized intersection along Fair Road were also identified as safety concerns.
Washington estimates completion of the proposed roundabout and medians in the range of 3-5 years, with pre-construction processes slated to require at least two years and an additional year of construction.
Find more details on the work session packet HERE.