There are two different plans for improving the often-clogged Atlanta commute for residents of western Fayette County.
One costs more and will take longer … but will provide more capacity.
And while the other has less capacity for the future, it can be done much quicker and cheaper … and is actually planned for potential construction in 2018 by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Which one will become reality? That comes down to the results of the regional transportation sales tax vote this summer.
If the sales tax is approved, the DOT will pursue the more expensive project with the largest capacity for vehicles going south on Ga. Highway 74: the addition of two cloverleaf approach paths south of the bridges. One of those cloverleafs would host two lanes of traffic coming off the interstate, allowing them to have “free flow” on Hwy. 74 until they reach the traffic light at Oakley Industrial Boulevard. The other cloverleaf is for traffic exiting Interstate 85 northbound also going south on Hwy. 74.
The main drawback to the cloverleaf alternative is that new bridges will have to be built across the interstate, which will extend the length of time necessary to complete the project, said Georgia DOT Project Manager Ernay Robinson.
If the sales tax is rebuffed by voters, the DOT will go with a new concept called a “diverging diamond” interchange, which eliminates left turn movements to help traffic flow smoother. This is accomplished by routing vehicles on the opposite sides for a brief stretch of road along the bridges.
The diverging diamond would allow three lanes of traffic to exit the interstate and go southbound on Hwy. 74 at the same time, DOT representatives said.
The main upshot of the diverging diamond is that it can be accomplished using the existing bridges over the Interstate, and it can be done much quicker, according to Robinson.
In fact, the DOT currently has the diverging diamond interchange planned for construction in 2018, but Robinson said that could change very easily.
DOT traffic consultants say both designs will solve the current and future traffic problems at the interchange. But the cloverleaf design, with its additional room to stack traffic, will have impact that is much longer lasting, they said.
No matter which project is selected, Fayette commuters will see improvement in their morning trek to Atlanta because DOT will extend the two lanes that merge onto I-85. The lanes currently end near the Ga. Highway 92 bridge, but they will extend a significant distance further to give extra time for vehicles to merge onto the interstate.
Fayette commuters should also see improvement to the morning commute after improvements later this year to the intersection of Hwy. 74 and Oakley Industrial Boulevard, Robinson said.
A public forum on the two proposals will be scheduled for sometime in February. The project is a joint venture with the city of Fairburn, where the interchange is located.
As to the creation of an access to the interstate at Hwy. 92, Robinson said that is not in the cards at this time because of requirements from the Federal Highway Administration, which manages access points to the interstate system. The FHA would want the access tied to high occupancy travel lanes, Robinson said.
Fayette County Commissioner Steve Brown is pushing for the addition of a northbound on-ramp and a southbound off-ramp for the interstate at Hwy. 92. He contends the work should be put on a plan so the government can take advantage of any potential future stimulus funding.
Brown was unable to convince his fellow commission members to support a resolution urging the Hwy. 92 interstate access, as the other commissioners wanted feedback from the DOT before proceeding.
Robinson said one reason for not including the Hwy. 92 interstate access was the potential for further delaying the improvements to the interchange of I-85 and Hwy. 74.
