Construction could begin next year on Habersham County’s first-ever roundabout, with another one soon to follow. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) says work is progressing on plans to build roundabouts at the intersections of State Routes 105 and 115 in Demorest and 197 and 385 in Clarkesville.
Both roundabout projects are still in the pre-construction phase, which includes conducting environmental studies, completing design work, certifying utilities, and securing the right of way, among other things. Even with the work that remains to be done, both projects are scheduled to be put out for bid in 2023. If all goes as planned, construction on the Demorest roundabout could begin by next fall.
“It will be put out to bid in May 2023,” GDOT District One Communications Officer Elizabeth Johnson tells Now Habersham. “Construction should begin within three months once the contract is awarded.”
GDOT still has several steps to complete before releasing the project for bids, including getting certification of utilities by March 2023.
“Should any conflicts crop up, then the project can not go to the bidding stage until it is resolved,” Johnson explains.
Construction on Clarkesville’s roundabout likely won’t begin until early 2024. The project is not as far along in the pre-construction phase as Demorest’s. In addition, the Clarkesville project is “a bit more complicated,” says Johnson, because it requires replacing the stop-controlled intersection at the SR 197 and US 441 Business/SR 385/17 intersection.
She says the Clarkesville roundabout is “anticipated to go for bid in September 2023.”
A matter of safety
During a meeting with local officials in February of this year, GDOT District Traffic Engineer Jason Dykes and District Pre-construction Engineer SueAnne Decker confirmed the roundabouts would be built within the next two years.
While the public voiced strong opposition to the proposed Clarkesville roundabout in an online GDOT survey, the agency says it’s a matter of public safety. The standard intersection has 32 points where a crash can occur, while a roundabout brings those points down to just eight, Dykes said.
According to GDOT, both roundabouts will be big enough for semi-trucks and school buses to pass without problems.
Earlier this year, GDOT estimated construction costs for the Demorest roundabout at $2.8 million. The Clarkesville roundabout was projected to cost $2.6 million.
Construction on the Demorest roundabout is expected to take 18 months.
