MACON, Ga. — Some north Macon shoppers worry a proposed development near Bass Road could make the road's traffic problems worse.
New Forsyth Associates want to build a shopping center on New Forsyth Road stretching between Riverside Drive and Bass Road. It would feature a wholesale store, and could also have restaurants, shops and office space.
Some fear all the extra customers may impact Bass Road.
"It might get packed as soon as they bring that business there. Because everybody will be wanting to check it out," Glenn Williams said about the proposal.
"Traffic at certain times of the day can be quite heavy," Yaw Boateng said about Bass Road.
The road deals with its share of daily traffic. From ACE Academy pickup and drop-off to the three shopping centers nearby.
"It does get heavy. It gets heavy. During the daytime it does. But in the morning time or night, it doesn't really get heavy. Everything's kind of quiet," Williams said.
He doesn't worry about traffic much with his shift. Williams manages to miss both rush hours. Boateng thinks the traffic will get worse with the proposed development.
"I don't expect that roads will expand appropriately," he said.
Commissioner Valerie Wynn says they've tried to expand the road for years, and that it should have been done before new development came to the area, but she believes the development could be great for North Macon.
"That plot of land's been vacant for quite some while," Wynn said. "The anchor that's coming is going to be a great asset to the city."
She, like Williams and Boateng, worries about the traffic. Wynn hopes the development's different entrances, like one from Riverside Drive, will help divert it.
"It will have another way to get out of it which will be Riverside Drive, which is already four lanes," Wynn said.
It's an extra way out to buy some additional time before promised road widening projects start to take shape.
According to the county's latest SPLOST update, the Bass Road widening project could cost around $35 million. The county would pay about $10 million. They're in the planning stages now but hope to start construction in 2026.