Federal safety money will help pay for two new roundabouts and other pedestrian enhancements on Mercer University Drive.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has committed to the project although no timeline is currently available, GDOT District Traffic Engineer Tyler Peek told Macon-Bibb County Commissioners last week.

“We’re not looking at this coming into place tomorrow,” Peek said. “Still need some time to get it designed and go through the traditional GDOT process.”

In late 2017, an audit of Mercer University Drive from just west of Oglesby Place to Pio Nono Avenue showed between 7 and 14 times more crashes than expected at traffic lights at Oglesby, Anthony and Columbus roads, Peek said.

“A lot higher than we would like to see and want to live with long-term,” Peek told commissioners.

The audit has concluded roundabouts would be the best way to reduce crashes at the intersection of Anthony Road and Burton Avenue and the junction of Columbus Road and Mercer University Drive in front of the Georgia Department of Labor.

Plans call for removing the traffic light at Oglesby and adding a raised concrete median all the way up past Columbus Road.

Traffic coming from Oglesby or Arlington Park would no longer be able to turn left to go west on Mercer University Drive, but would have to make a right turn and then a “reduced conflict U-turn” at the new roundabout at Anthony.

Westbound drivers also coming from Florence Avenue and Henderson Drive also would have to make U-turns at the Columbus Road roundabout, but vehicles coming from Mercer University Drive would be able to turn into those side streets at breaks in the median.

Not only do roundabouts reduce the number of vehicle crashes, but can be safer for pedestrians, Peek said.

“Because the crossings are shorter,” he said. “Crossing one or two lanes at a time as opposed to crossing four or five at a pedestrian phase at a traffic light.”

Pedestrian crossing enhancements also are planned for Oglesby and Arlington and engineers will be looking for other logical areas to install safety features, Peek said.

Peek anticipates GDOT holding a concept team meeting later this year where local leaders would go through the roundabout plans, cost and anticipated construction schedule.

Commissioner Virgil Watkins wanted and got clarification that the county was not responsible for any of the cost of making these road improvements, but would only pay for maintenance and lighting.

“Wonderful,” Watkins said. “Love it.”

Road safety auditors also looked at Pio Nono Avenue from north of Mercer University Drive to Eisenhower Parkway.

Peek said the middle turn lane from Eisenhower ends at Anthony Road.

“Makes it really challenging,” he said. “Not really ideal as long-term options.”

GDOT proposes putting the corridor on a “road diet” north of Anthony Road, which means the lanes would taper from five down to three – one in each direction with a turn lane in the middle.

That lane reduction will also increase safety at the pedestrian crossing near Cirrus Academy, Peek said.

Double left turn lanes at the Eisenhower-Pio Nono intersection also will be pared down to single lanes.

“There’s a lot of asphalt in all directions,” Peek said. “That’s a lot of crossing distance for pedestrians.

Pio Nono is slated to be repaved next year and those lane restriping enhancements are expected then.

Eventually, GDOT would like to put another roundabout at the Anthony Road intersection on Pio Nono but that could be years away.

“It was identified that this would be a good improvement long-term,” he said.

The state wants to partner with Macon-Bibb County in fixing gaps in the sidewalks on Pio Nono and installing enhanced pedestrian crossings where needed.

If local funding is not available, those projects might be eligible for “quick response project” state funding of up to $200,000 from GDOT, Peek said.

Replacing traffic signal heads at Eisenhower to include yellow flashing arrows that enable left turns when traffic is clear could reduce wait times at the lights.

Macon-Bibb County traffic engineer Nigel Floyd said the county’s Pedestrian Safety Review Board asked GDOT to conduct these road safety audits several years ago.

A review of Eisenhower Parkway resulted in a new pedestrian hybrid beacon being installed near C Street and pedestrian enhancements to the intersections of Macon Tech Drive, Oglesby Place and Bloomfield Road.

Peek said crews also are looking to improve Eisenhower Parkway from Key Street to Interstate 75.

Again, he hopes GDOT can partner with Macon-Bibb County to connect and enhance sidewalks.

“We need to use our SPLOST pedestrian safety money for filling in the gaps for sidewalks and lighting,” said Commissioner Elaine Lucas who led the initiative to create the pedestrian safety board.

Looking ahead, GDOT also wants to reduce Eisenhower Parkway down from six lanes to four from Key Street to I-75, but the highway is not yet on a repaving schedule when those changes will be made.

Traffic engineers also are proposing a future roundabout at the I-75 south exit ramp at Eisenhower.

“This is a location we’d be considering for federal safety funding,” Peek said.

Another safety audit was conducted on Emery Highway, but the initial recommendations have not yet been released.

Contact Civic Reporting Senior Fellow Liz Fabian at 478-301-2976 or [email protected].