The Fayette County Commission in November unanimously approved the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Antioch and Goza roads. Commissioners on April 12 gave the go-ahead for right-of-way acquisition for the $1.07 million project.
Public Works Director Phil Mallon at the April 12 meeting told commissioners the roundabout project is at the point where right-of-way needs to be acquired. Commissioners agreed, voting 4-0 to free up funding for the purchases.
Mallon said he would soon provide an update on potential scheduling dates for the project.
Mallon said most or all of the funding would come from 2004 SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax) revenues. Funds from the 2017 SPLOST can be used, if needed, he said.
During discussions in November, commissioners considered two approaches to addressing accident issues at the intersection. One of those would be to install a permanent 4-way stop with the other being a roundabout.
In terms of national crash data pertaining to injuries and fatalities, a roundabout was the safer approach. Data showed injuries and fatalities reduced by 77 percent with a 4-way stop, and a reduction of 83 percent with a roundabout.
In terms of cost, a permanent 4-way stop would cost approximately $409,000 while a roundabout would run approximately $1.07 million. Both figures had significant contingencies built-in.
