An engineering company that will prepare conceptual designs for scaled-back improvements to the intersection of Peachtree Parkway and Crosstown Drive will also look at the possibility of making the intersection into a two-lane roundabout.
Pond and Company will be preparing conceptual designs for the intersection, which also will look at the addition of right-turn lanes.
Mayor Don Haddix said he strongly opposes a roundabout for this intersection based on negative public feedback the city has received. It was noted, however, that the comments against a roundabout were for the intersection of Peachtree Parkway and Walt Banks Road.
Councilwoman Kim Learnard said it wouldn’t hurt the city to find out about what it would take to make the intersection a roundabout.
“We know we don’t want a light. That’s the main thing we’re hearing from citizens,” Learnard said.
“I can guarantee you the citizens are going to come back out and have a fit about a roundabout,” Haddix said.
The motion to approve the conceptual design work at $21,080 was unanimous.
The city has a $400,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation for the project, but that plan includes the addition of a traffic light, which the city council has said is unnecessary.
The city has asked the Fayette County Commission to fund $774,000 to add multiple lanes to the intersection, but the commission asked the city if the project could be further scaled back since it is not backed up with traffic often.
County Commissioner Eric Maxwell suggested that the necessary right-turn lanes could be added to the intersection with no need to use the state grant, particularly if the state would require that the traffic light be added to the intersection.
The county agreed to fund this study from funds from the 2003 countywide transportation SPLOST. The city wants to also tap those funds to pay for the intersection improvements at Peachtree Parkway and Crosstown Drive.
