Round and round we go: Nineteen roundabouts planned for Effingham County

The Effingham County Board of Commissioners is prioritizing roads and parks to prepare for the area’s growing population.

More than a dozen roundabouts are planned for construction throughout the county. Nineteen are in the design phase and more are under consideration.

"According to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), roundabouts can reduce crashes that may result in serious injuries or deaths by 78-82 percent compared to conventional intersections controlled by traffic lights or stop signs that typically create longer delays." A press release issued by the Effingham County Board of Commissioners Public Information Officer Mark Lastinger states.

Planned roundabouts include:

• State Route 17 and Marlow Road
• State Route 17 and Jabez Jones Road
• US 80 and Sandhill Road
• Hodgeville Road and Gateway Parkway
• Blue Jay Road and Midland Road

Motorists will begin to see repairs in the next two years on Honey Ridge Road, Golden Drive, McCall Road and Woodland Drive to name a few.

More than 50 roads will be resurfaced and some will be widened and have turn lanes added. The Local Maintenance Improvement Grant provided $4 million in road improvements for 2023 and 2024.

Motorists will begin to see repairs in the next two years on Honey Ridge Road, Golden Drive, McCall Road and Woodland Drive to name a few.

“With growth, we are tracking more and more sales tax so that is giving us more opportunities on the (TSPLOST) to collect,” said District 3 Commissioner Jamie DeLoach. “We definitely have a lot of roads that need attention and TSPLOST has allowed us to do that.”

Twelve parks are slated for upgrades, to include a new facility on the south end of the county, where the county has seen the most growth.

The proposed South Effingham Community Park will be located on Highway 30 and feature just over an acre of green space to include a walking trail, dog park, pickleball and basketball court, a playground area and more.

Proposed improvements to the Sand Hill Recreation Complex include two synthetic turf soccer fields, a skate park, batting cages and a drone helipad complete with an airstrip and control tower.

Other parks to see upgrades include Clyo, Meldrim and Pineora Community Park.

Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.