The latest

traffic analysis of the Ga. Highway 54 West corridor shows one intersection

is close to "failing" by nearly creating a delay of one minute

for passing motorists.

The intersection

serving The Avenue and Marketplace retail centers "is right on the

verge and almost anything will put it over," said Jim Williams, Peachtree

City's Director of Developmental Services.

"The new

developments have taken up almost all of the projected capacity of the

highway," Williams said.

The city's

traffic impact ordinance requires traffic studies on any new development

proposed for the Hwy. 54 area. If a study shows the development's projected

traffic will degrade traffic in the area, the development cannot proceed

unless road improvements are built at the developer's expense to counteract

the projected traffic increase.

The Avenue

intersection can't be improved much more beyond the addition of two lanes

to the nearby railroad bridge, Williams said. Estimates for that work

reached $800,000, but officials from the state Department of Transportation

have said they would prefer that project be performed by the DOT, Williams

added.

The traffic

light serving The Avenue and Marketplace is the most recent addition of

traffic lights to Hwy. 54 West. Another traffic light will be erected

in the future almost directly across from Planterra Way to serve the Wal-Mart

and Home Depot retail center. And the relocation of the Wynnmeade Parkway

traffic light to MacDuff Parkway is expected to be completed in the next

two weeks.

The latest

traffic study of Hwy. 54 West included current traffic and estimated traffic

for future projects including the recently approved Wal-Mart and Home

Depot retail center and the proposed 107-home subdivision north of Wynnmeade.

It also factors in traffic coming from other developments as far away

as the industrial park and the Promenade retail center on the other end

of town on Hwy. 54, Williams said.

The study also

confirmed the city's traffic projections made over a year ago for developments

which hadn't even opened at the time, Williams added.

"It's

nice to find out we were pretty much on target," Williams said.

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