Roundabouts Among Possible Powder Springs Intersection Improvements

Four intersections have been targeted by Powder Springs officials as top priorities for reconfiguring, and one of them could have a big chunk paid for by the federal government.

City officials plan to submit the four to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Transportation Improvement Program, which allocates federal funds to construction of high-priority projects in the metro area. The federal funding for such projects is 80 percent, while local governments are required to pay the remaining 20.

After receiving Powder Springs’ proposals, the ARC will choose one, at which point the City Council would decide whether to move forward or decline the project.

Nothing is official and no city money is involved unless the council accepts the project, City Manager Brad Hulsey said at Wednesday’s council work session. Even then, the project wouldn’t have to be done right away, as funding for it might not be budgeted, he added.

“You may still not construct it for years,” Hulsey said, noting that “general improvement dollars” from the 2011 SPLOST could go toward the city’s portion of the match. 

The four Powder Springs intersection proposals, submitted to Hulsey and the council from the city’s Public Works and Community Development departments, are:

Olgesby Road at Brownsville Road: It’s hard to make a left-hand turn there because of traffic, but after construction, cars would “move more freely,” Hulsey said. 

Powder Springs Road at Flint Hill Road, Pine Grove Drive and Deercreek Drive: The latter three run into the much bigger and busier Powder Springs Road in the same close area, and there are no lights, just stop signs, to help motorists. Some left turns are “very dangerous,” and drivers “really have to lay on the gas,” Hulsey said. 

Remodeling of the intersection, he said, would “square (it) off” to make turning easier. 

“Right now, they’re coming in at angles,” Hulsey said. “If you have three directions of traffic coming in at the same time, they’ll be squared off to where you’re looking down Powder Springs Road instead of having to look over your shoulder.”

Powder Springs-Dallas Road at Florence Road: The intersection that just has a stop sign for Florence Road getting on Powder Springs-Dallas Road would be turned into a roundabout.

Marietta Street at Brownsville Road: The intersection in downtown Powder Springs near City Hall frequently gets clogged because of the railroad crossing. The proposal would turn it into a roundabout.

“Roundabout by the railroad tracks?” Councilwoman Nancy Hudson asked, with other council members also questioning the project.

“That’s actually something that has been discussed in the past,” Hulsey said, later adding, “I don’t know that it’s feasible. I’ve tried to think about that one myself and tried to figure it out with that railroad.”

Hulsey said the projects are all in preliminary planning stages and, if picked, would still need to be properly engineered.

Which intersection would you most like to see redone? Tell us in the comments.

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