The Habersham County Commission tabled a $46,500 request during Monday’s meeting to initiate a traffic engineering study and signal design for a proposed emergency exit at the future Habersham County Fire-EMS Headquarters.
The request is part of the SPLOST VII-funded Fire/EMS/EMA/911 Capital Project, that will be located on E. Mize Road, and is aimed at providing safe and efficient emergency access on to GA 365, one of the county’s most heavily traveled corridors.
According to Capital Projects Manager and Public Works Director Jerry Baggett, the study and design are required to secure approval from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) for a Right-of-Way (ROW) crossing, including a northbound emergency exit and a southbound median crossing.
Scope of work
The engineering firm, Rochester and Associates will oversee all design and coordination efforts with GDOT, including the preparation of:
- A traffic engineering study justifying the need for the emergency access using the GDOT AASHTOware Safety system.
- An Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE), a requirement for GDOT ROW access permits.
- A design for a push-button signal detector to allow fire trucks to safely enter and cross GA 365 during emergency responses.
- All related signage and road markings to support the emergency signal system.
The scope of work also includes submittal and permitting through GDOT, a process that typically takes 7 to 10 months.
Baggett requested that the commission approve the study so that the engineering firm could begin work immediately on the traffic study while school was still in session this week. If not, they would have to wait until August 8 to begin the traffic study portion of the project.
Reservations
Commissioner Bruce Harkness had reservations to move forward with the study. He informed Baggett that the county was not in a hurry to get started on the headquarters project. Harkness’ fear was that if the county moved forward with the study now, that it would be out of date once they did begin the project, resulting in another large expenditure for another study.
Harkness also expressed concerns about the location. He explained that with the existing intersections of Demorest/Mt. Airy Highway, GA 197, and Double Bridge Road, all in the area, would be a nightmare. “It’s going to be a dangerous place,” he told the commission.
Commissioner Ty Akins also was concerned about the shelf life of the study since the county was not in a hurry to start the fire headquarters project. He requested Baggett to check with the state on how long the study would be good for once it’s completed.
The commission unanimously approved to table the matter. Baggett told the commissioners that he would find out how long the study would be good for once it is completed.
