October 14th, 2020 – 11:15 AM
Bartow County –
Bartow County is announcing that the new alignment for Cass-White Road will be open to the public on Friday, October 16.
The project is being completed with $6.24 million in SPLOST funding and a grant of $2.36 million from the State Roads and Tollway Authority.
The project took a little over two years to complete.
The road was built to eliminate a railroad crossing and to accommodate the increase in freight and vehicle traffic that is occurring in that area of the community.
At this time a traffic signal is not in place at the intersection. This is because the current traffic volumes and history of accidents in the immediate vicinity do not meet one or more of several warrants established by the Federal Highway Administration.
The Georgia Department of Transportation relies upon this system of measures to determine the placement of traffic signals in order to optimize travel times and safety of the public.When used under the right conditions, traffic signals may improve traffic flow and safety. In considering when and where traffic signals should be installed, engineers gather information on traffic flows. This may include the amount of vehicle traffic for all peak hours of the day, the direction of traffic, turning vehicles and pedestrians and bicyclists where there are schools at the intersection.
Traffic speeds and the development in the area are also considered along with the number of travel lanes available at the location. Traffic flow information assists in determining the potential impacts of a traffic signal on travel delays and how many vehicles can be served by the intersection (capacity). All signals have the potential to increase delays or decrease capacity to some traffic movement and decrease delays or increase capacity to other traffic movements.
Total delay and capacity impacts and individual movements are considered when determining where a signal is to be placed.
The system of signal warrants requires transportation professional to look at the following factors when evaluating a traffic signal request:
- Eight-hour Vehicular Volume
- Four-hour Vehicular Volume
- Peak Hour
- Pedestrian Volume
- School Crossings
- Coordinated Signal System
- Crash Experience
- Roadway Network
- Intersection near a Railroad Grade Crossing
One or more warrants may need to be satisfied before a signal may be justified, and, in some cases, even with the warrants being met, there may be other reasons that mitigate against placing a signal.
“Bartow County is happy to see this valuable project nearing completion for the benefit of the traveling public. The staff has been instructed to continue to monitor the situation closely. Rest assured we will meet with GDOT to get a signal placed as soon as traffic conditions suggest the need.”, said Commissioner Steve Taylor.