City set to start work on new roundabout

Kevin C. Hall, The Moultrie Observer, Ga.
·2 min read

Jun. 23—MOULTRIE — The City of Moultrie plans to close Second Street Southeast and Fifth Avenue Southeast where they intersect beginning as soon as Monday, June 26.

In early May, the city announced a plan to build a roundabout at the intersection. In an email Friday, Amy Johnson, downtown development and public relations director for the city, did not say work would start immediately on Monday, but she did say motorists will need to start planning their route for a possible closure on that day.

The work is expected to take four to six weeks, Johnson said.

"A roundabout is a one-way, circular intersection allowing vehicles to yield and merge, all while keeping traffic flowing," Johnson said. "The roundabout will serve to improve the safety and flow of traffic.

"According to the Federal Highway Administration, roundabouts are safer than traditional intersections, with a 35% reduction in accidents, a 76% reduction in injuries, and a more than 90% reduction in fatalities," Johnson said. "Roundabouts are a safer alternative to traffic signals and stop signs. The tight circle of a roundabout forces drivers to slow down, and the most severe types of intersection crashes — right-angle, left-turn, and head-on collisions — are unlikely."

A diagram provided by the city shows minor changes to nearby property, including property owned by First Presbyterian Church and First Methodist Church.

Moultrie already has four roundabouts — a large one at Spence Field, medium-sized ones on Highway 37 at Industrial Drive and Cool Springs Road and on North Main Street at Sylvester Highway and First Street Northeast, and a smaller one on Fourth Avenue Northeast at Rowland Drive and County Farm Road.

Based on the city's diagram, the Fifth Avenue roundabout appears to be even smaller than the one on Rowland Drive.

In August 2022, the Georgia Department of Transportation proposed a roundabout on South Main Street at Fourth Avenue, but city officials told the Moultrie City Council May 2 that that project is on hold.

At that same city council meeting, city engineer Greg Monfort presented plans for roundabouts on Fifth Avenue at First Street Southeast and at Second Street Southeast. The council approved a bid of $457,486 from Green's Backhoe Inc. of Thomasville for both roundabouts.

Friday's announcement indicates the beginning of work on Fifth Avenue at Second Street. It does not address any of the other roundabouts.

At the May 2 City Council meeting, Monfort said the city has seven intersections with traffic lights, excluding intersections governed by the state DOT. After both roundabouts are installed on Fifth Avenue, he said the city plans to review traffic response before moving forward with roundabouts at the other intersections.