Peachtree City roads: State Road 74 and 54 turn lanes to open before school starts
GDOT installs displaced left turns at Hwy 54 and 74
Major construction at Highways 54 and 74 in Peachtree City is causing heavy traffic backups as GDOT installs new displaced left-turn lanes. The $22M project aims to cut peak delays by reorganizing left-turn signals to keep traffic moving.
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. - State drivers facing daily gridlock at State Roads 74 and 54 in Peachtree City will soon get relief when new displaced left turn lanes open July 30. The $18 million infrastructure upgrade aims to reduce traffic backups across Fayette and Coweta counties.
Peachtree City Traffic Upgrade
What we know:
Motorists traversing the intersection of State Roads 74 and 54 in Peachtree City have endured long delays and heated debates for years. The Georgia Department of Transportation designed an $18 million, two-year project to solve the bottleneck before local schools reopen.
Targeted for a July 30 opening, the new lanes will alter how drivers make turns at the busy crossroads. GDOT officials anticipate the shift will move cars faster and significantly cut down on red light delays.
Fayette County Commute Details
What we don't know:
State transportation officials have not disclosed the exact hour traffic crews will unveil the new lane configuration on July 30.
It also remains unconfirmed whether GDOT will implement additional traffic control officers to guide commuters during the initial morning rush.
Metro Atlanta Intersection Redesign
The backstory:
Commercial growth in Peachtree City expanded State Road 54 over the years, but high vehicle volumes continued to stall Southside commuters in Fayette and Coweta counties. GDOT says displaced left turn lanes are already successfully easing congestion in several other high-traffic areas across metro Atlanta.
Under the new layout, northbound and southbound drivers on State Road 74 wanting to turn onto State Road 54 will merge into displaced left-turn lanes before reaching the main intersection. Merging early allows traffic to turn without waiting through multiple signal cycles.
Georgia DOT Traffic Statement
What they're saying:
"Well, it's just a very, very busy intersection," GDOT representative Gina Snider said. "You have a lot of commercial in the area. And it used to be, you know, on 54, one lane back in the day. Remember, one, two lanes. And then we expanded that. And there's just a lot a growth out in this area in Peachtree City."
Snider explained that northbound and southbound drivers on State Road 74 will merge before the crossroads. "The hope is that it will relieve the number of cars at the intersection and speed up the time it takes motorists to get through because they won’t have to sit through as many cycles of red lights," Snider said. "So that will help with less signal phases for drivers. You don't have to sit through the same, you know, signal over and over and over."
Southside Commuter Opening Schedule
What's next:
The new turn lanes are scheduled to open on July 30, offering drivers a chance to test the pattern before Fayette County classes resume.
Transportation officials encourage local motorists to drive the route beforehand to get accustomed to the displaced lane setup.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 5 reporter Doug Evans, who reported from the intersection in Peachtree City, as well as Georgia Department of Transportation spokesperson Gina Snider.