The Georgia Department of Transportation is exploring a “transformation” of the state-owned portion of Prince Avenue, similar to what the Athens-Clarke County government did with the locally owned stretch.
GDOT recently asked ACC officials whether they are interested in the project. Mayor Kelly Girtz responded with a letter saying that the local government supports it, ACC Transportation and Public Works Director Stephen Bailey told the Athens in Motion Commission, a transportation advisory board, on May 30.
“They used the term ‘road transformation project,’ which to us translates to a road diet… something like what we did on the local portion of Prince,” Bailey said.
Last fall ACC revamped the four-lane road between Pulaski Street and Milledge Avenue into a three-lane road with a center turn lane and protected bike lanes on either side. The successful pilot project was made permanent, and new barriers are expected to be installed this summer.
No specifics are available yet, but a 2019 GDOT road safety audit calls for bike lanes, medians and pedestrian islands, removing some driveways, installing traffic calming measures like curb bump-outs and improving crosswalks on Prince between Milledge Avenue and Sunset Drive, which is a state highway. The state project would not necessarily involve making the entire road three lanes, though, Bailey said.
Like what you just read? Support Flagpole by making a donation today. Every dollar you give helps fund our ongoing mission to provide Athens with quality, independent journalism.
