Habersham County officials, legislators, and Georgia Department of Transportation district staff met Friday to discuss renewed calls for enhanced safety measures along Highway 365.
State Sen. Bo Hatchett, Rep. Victor Anderson, and Rep. Chris Erwin were among those who participated in the virtual meeting. They discussed current plans and priorities and looked toward future solutions, according to a press release issued Monday.
Top priority
That meeting followed a wreck the previous Sunday that claimed the lives of five people on GA 365 at Mt. Zion Road near Alto and a serious-injury wreck Saturday that injured seven people on GA 365 at Rock Road near the Stephens County line.
“In addition to scores of posts with hundreds of comments on social media, many area residents have reached out to the Habersham County Board of Commissioners and local legislators to call for changes along the Highway 365 corridor,” says Habersham County Public Information Officer Rob Moore.
He adds, “Those concerns are not going unheard.”
Intersection modifications are costly, but Hatchett, Anderson, and Erwin say they realize their constituents want to see safety improved on the busy highway.
Seventeen months ago, state transportation department engineers discussed installing an RCUT with a downstream U-turn at the Mt. Zion Road intersection. Following the multi-fatal wreck on July 16, officials acknowledge that intersection is the top priority. Hatchett asked GDOT staff how quickly the project could go out for bids.
Transportation officials informed Hatchett that an engineering, marking, and signage plan for improvements at the Mt. Zion intersection is complete and ready for review. GDOT crews must also assess the intersection for potential drainage issues. Once GDOT addresses those issues and makes any necessary modifications to the plan, it can go out for bids — hopefully within a couple of months.
Funding options
According to Hatchett, GDOT limits its Quick Response (QR) project funding to $200,000 per project. An RCUT intersection and U-turn would cost twice that amount. If GDOT breaks the project into two phases, it could qualify for QR funding.
Anderson said while GDOT Quick Response funding is limited, there may be other ways to pay for needed work on the heavily trafficked highway.
Unofficial, preliminary estimates indicate safety upgrades along Highway 365 could cost upwards of $8 million. That money could come from the state’s general budget if lawmakers approve. The local legislative delegation is now working on a proposal for funding through the state House and Senate Appropriations Committees and Governor Brian Kemp’s office.
Moore points out that changes to intersections along GA 365 or GA 15 (known locally as Expressway 441) are GDOT’s responsibility. The state has the final say on any changes and is responsible for funding those projects.
Others who attended the July 21 meeting were Habersham County Commission Chair Ty Akins, County Manager Alicia Vaughn, Sheriff Joey Terrell, Sheriff’s Capt. Greg Chastain, Emergency Services Operations Chief Jason Davey, Public Works Director Jerry Baggett, Public Works Contract Service Engineer Cindy McGrew, E-911/Emergency Management Agency Assistant Director Melanie Bellinger, and Habersham County Public Information Officer Rob Moore.
This article has been updated to reflect that cost estimates are unofficial and preliminary.
