MACON, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Transportation is working to ease traffic congestion along Gray Highway and North Avenue. Last week, we reported that traffic was a nightmare because of changes due to the I-16/I-75 interchange project.
We heard mixed opinions from drivers about the improvements made. Some think traffic is flowing a lot more smoothly, while some are just ready for the construction to be done.
"Every day -- I stay over this way," Carl Smith said.
Smith is just one of the thousands of people who use the interchange for their daily commute.
"If you come down through here, it is a nightmare. Either way you go, traffic (is) backed up," Smith said.
Last week, the state Department of Transportation closed the I-16 westbound on-ramp from Spring Street. That means traffic from Gray Highway, Emery Highway, and Spring Street has to use one ramp to get onto I-16 westbound.
This is all part of the state's plan to overhaul the interchange to eventually improve the flow of traffic, an overhaul that caused a delay for one driver we spoke with.
"It was awful -- literally, I sat there maybe 20 minutes," Reed Adair said.
Penny Brooks with the state Department of Transportation says crews removed the "No right turn on red sign" at the one I-16 on-ramp that's still open off North Avenue. Drivers said that full stop was holding up traffic headed onto the highway. They also installed a yield sign to ease traffic near the on-ramp. Brooks says signal technicians are re-timing the traffic signals near Spring Street and Emery Highway.
"10 times better than last week. Last week was bad, bad. I didn't have to stop at all, I just went to turn on I-75 no traffic at all," Adair said.
While Reed Adair thinks the changes are working, Smith isn't sold.
"I understand they are doing it for improvement, but the amount of time that they say it is going to take, it just makes the situation, it's like a guessing game -- you never know what it is going to be the next day you go down here," Smith said.
The state expects this ramp closure will last for "several more months" as construction on the interchange continues.
Here is the full statement we received from Penny Brooks with the state department of transportation:
The “No Right on Red” signage was changed to a yield sign, so traffic is allowed to turn right on red at the Spring Street and Emery Highway intersection at this time.
We also have signal techs adjusting the timing of the traffic signals in that area to improve the flow of traffic on Spring Street and help with some of the back-up. I checked this morning and they are still working it out, and should have the timing adjustments complete at some point this week. Our contractor is only authorized to adjust signals that are within the project limits, so in this case the contractor has adjusted the timing on two intersections’ signals: one at the intersection of Spring Street and Emery Highway and the another at the intersection of the I-16 westbound off-ramp to Spring Street.
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