Roundabout coming to busy Coweta intersection

It is still a couple of years away, but the Coweta County Commission on Jan. 6 approved a lighting agreement for the upcoming roundabout that will be installed at the intersection of Ga. highways 16 and 54.

County Director of Transportation and Engineering Tod Handley said the roundabout intersection improvement project at the intersection of Hwy. 16 and Hwy. 54 scheduled to begin in 2017 is proposed to include lighting of the intersection.

“The Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT), as a condition of providing the materials, equipment and installation of the lighting, requests that the local government commit to the energy and maintenance costs required for the intersection lighting. The Town of Turin has requested the County’s assistance with these recurring costs,” Handley said.

The estimated cost to provide lighting at the intersection is $300 per month.

County Administrator Michael Fouts said lighting will be included as part of the roundabout project once the intersection upgrade work begins.

DOT in recent years has favored roundabouts over traditional traffic signals for some intersections.

While some motorists question that perspective, it is noteworthy that roundabouts are known to maintain a relatively continuous flow of traffic with far fewer back-ups.