New roundabout now operational

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The new traffic pattern at Ga. Highway 85 North and Forrest Avenue (formerly the intersection at Hood Avenue) is open for business. The view from the east side of Hwy. 85 shows all five lanes of the new intersection in use. Photo/Ben Nelms.
 
There is a new look to the flow of traffic on Fayetteville’s north side. A portion of the project that installed a large roundabout and combines the traffic flow from Hood Avenue and Ga. Highway 92 then funnels traffic to a new traffic signal at Ga. Highway 85 opened on Nov. 10.
 
The project, completed last week and opened by the Ga. Department of Transportation,  relocated the traffic signal at Hwy. 92 and Hwy. 85 a short distance to the south at Hood Avenue, now renamed Forrest Avenue because the large roundabout carries traffic to Forrest Avenue (Ga. Highway 92) on the opposite side of the roundabout. 
 
The large roundabout connects Hood Avenue to Hwy. 92 on the west side of Hwy. 85. The roundabout is located approximately 400 feet from Hwy. 85. 
 
Vehicles passing through the roundabout and entering the intersection at Hwy. 85 will find a total of five lanes of roadway. Two of those lanes are right-turn only, one crosses Hwy. 85 and onto the Hood Avenue extension, now called Easterboork Way, while a fourth is designated for left turns. The fifth lane is designated for traffic turning right from Hwy. 85 to Forrest Avenue and for those coming from the east side of Hwy. 85 across the intersection and onto Forrest Avenue.
 
Directly across the intersection on the east side of Hwy. 85, the project also opened a short portion of Easterbook Way adjacent to Hudson Plaza. 
 
Likely before the end of December, the remainder of Easterbrook Way will be opened and will link with Kathi Avenue and the Church Street extension at a roundabout behind the shopping center and will continue to North Jeff Davis Drive. 
 
The large transportation project was funded by SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) dollars.
 
Easterbrook Way was named in honor of the late Fayetteville City Engineer Don Easterbrook.