Busy Intersection Racking up the Wrecks

Story Highlights:

• Accident Prone intersection to get traffic light
• 30,000 approved budget for project
• Business owners and drivers are looking forward to change

ATHENS, GA- Changes are coming to the intersection of Jennings Mill Road and Atlanta Highway.

GDOT officials say the light will be constructed from recycled signal poles, as well as new equipment.  The light will stand only until GDOT begins construction of the new intersection which will be located 300 feet from its original location. GDOT is hopeful the temporary light will be beneficial for everyone until the new intersection is ready for drivers.

According a Five Points Bottle Shop Manager Mark Burnett, he has seen about “a dozen serious accidents” during his shifts at work alone. According to Burnett, neighboring this intersection can also cause a drop in business and leaving some customers to buy elsewhere because “they didn’t want to risk their lives getting into [the] parking lot.”

Drivers like Jinx Dittavong are looking forward to the new light. Dittavong was involved in an accident in October of 2013 (pictured to the right) at the Jennings Mill and Atlanta Highway intersection. Though the light may potentially cause more traffic he believes “waiting ten minutes to save a life is well worth the wait”

The Athens Clarke County Unified Government approved a $30,000 measure to add a temporary traffic light to the intersection.  The cost was not originally in the budget for 2014, so the money will have to come from capital contingency funds.  However, the traffic intersection design as well as funding has not yet been approved.