Published Monday, August 04, 2008

I-85 lane shifts making roadway more dangerous

Editorial

The three-year construction project to add additional lanes and refurbish existing lanes on Interstate 85 throughout Coweta County enters a new phase this morning with significant traffic lane shifts.

So far construction workers have been building new inside lanes with a concrete barrier being erected to eventually separate northbound and southbound lanes. Now as the inside lanes are being completed, traffic will be shifted to those inside lanes while the existing outside lanes are replaced.

While motorists use the two inside lanes, concrete barriers will be in place on both sides of the two lanes. There will be no pull off shoulders, except for emergency pull-offs located every 6,000 feet -- or about a mile apart -- in the construction zone.

Today the first stretch of lane shifts to the inside will be from just north of exit 47 (Bullsboro Drive) south for seven miles to near exit 41. More lane shifts to the south will occur after this initial seven miles of lanes are replaced.

Beginning in September, traffic will be shifted to inside lanes between exit 47 northward into South Fulton County.

These shifts will be going on in various stretches in Coweta for at least a year. While motorists have been warned since the project began in January 2007 to "slow down, pay attention and not follow too closely," as this new phase of lane shifts begin those words are being sounded louder.

The bottom line is this: I-85 in Coweta is a dangerous stretch of roadway because of this construction project. All of us must heed the warnings. The speed limit is 60 mph. That's going to be too high in certain conditions, but don't exceed the limit.

We can expect delays. There will be accidents. Extra patrols and a HERO (Highway Emergency Response Operators) will be patrolling the interstate.

Obey the warnings -- slow down, drive defensively and don't follow to closely. Also, keep current of traffic conditions and construction updates on the GDOT Navigator website which can be accessed through times-herald.com or call 511 for updated construction information.

Be careful out there.