Published Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Let's not take shortcuts on safety public issues in I-85 construction

Editorial

Coweta County residents and other motorists who travel Interstate 85 should jump with joy when the construction and widening of the thoroughfare for 29 miles from South Fulton County, through Coweta County and into the edge of Meriwether County is completed. Deadline for completion is the end of 2009.

The interstate will be much safer when the construction is complete. However, there is a concern about a remaining significant safety issue on the stretch of the roadway south of Moreland exit 41. From that point south there will not be a concrete barrier separating the northbound and southbound lanes. There will only be a grass median which will be just 20 feet wide, plus a 12-foot wide emergency lane. That's often not enough room for an out of control vehicle to stop if it gets into the grassy median. In short, this is a recipe for more serious -- often fatal -- accidents when vehicles cross the median and hit vehicles coming from the other direction. (Read news story on Page 1A.)

Coweta County Commissioner Randolph Collins, who is a Georgia State Trooper, has raised this safety issue. Georgia DOT officials say there are now no plans to erect a guardrail or cable barrier in the median in the area below Moreland.

We agree with Collins some sort of barrier is needed. In fact, our reporter was told that the Federal Highway Administration approved the installation of cable median barriers for the construction project.

If that's the case, the DOT's contention that there's no money doesn't hold much water. If the feds said erect a cable barrier as part of the construction project, then erect the barrier. Let's not take shortcuts in this construction project and blame it on lack of money.