A new connector that links Highway 382 and 515 was made fully open to traffic in time for the Georgia Apple Festival’s first weekend, although orange barrels and some barricades still line the roadway as the project nears competition.
A roundabout on Old Highway 5 and a new section of Highway 382 that replaced an intersection with Old 5 had already been opened prior to the final section between Old 5 and 515 opening earlier this month.
The price tag for the entire project, started in Oct. 2019, is $8.6 million, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).
“We are excited to open up this new route,” said David Acree, GDOT District Six engineer. “By extending State Route 382, we were able to give motorists a direct route to 515, which should help alleviate traffic issues and reduce travel times.”
When exiting from the connector, drivers are not able to pass across the southbound lane of 515 to access the northbound lane.
New concrete RCUT (Restricted Crossing U-Turn) intersections near where the connector empties onto 515 only allow drivers to turn right onto the southbound lane from the connector. A U-turn must be made to head in the opposite direction.
“Part of the requirements for the RCUTs is that people don’t have to drive a long way out of their way to make that turn,” said Joe Schulman, communications officer for GDOT District Six.
The RCUTs, which were also installed farther south on Highway 515 at a Talk-ing Rock intersection with Antioch Church Road, are usually put in because of visibility issues at busy intersections, Schulman noted.
“You’re coming into traffic, and it’s moving pretty quickly. By forcing people to turn right, they’re not doing a dangerous move of going across two lanes of traffic to turn left, which is where we we see those angled crashes and more serious wrecks,” he added.
While the entire connector is now open to vehicles, additional construction work still remains, including asphalt paving, striping and guardrail installation, according to GDOT.
Demolition of the now-abandoned section of 382 that previously met Old Highway 5 has already begun. “Road Closed” barricades and orange barrels warn drivers that the abandoned stretch of road is now inaccessible.
Temporary three-way stop signs put up at the previous 382/Old 5 intersection while the roundabout was built have since been removed.
“We expect to have the project fully completed in a little over a month. We want to thank everyone for their patience during construction,” said Acree.