Could a special turn lane help relieve some Peachtree City traffic troubles?

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. — Congestion is a familiar sight around the intersection of Highway 74 and Highway 54 in Peachtree City.

The intersection sees more than 45,000 cars daily as it has become a major thoroughfare to some booming areas of metro Atlanta.

So, to help solve the problem, the Georgia Department of Transportation is putting in a displaced left turn lane.

The GDOT says its new Displaced Left Turn traffic pattern at the intersection should get traffic moving smoothly.

The idea can be difficult to explain, but it would put a special left turn intersection before the main intersection. Drivers taking a left turn would then go to a dedicated lane on the opposite side of traffic.

The idea is that it prevents traffic from backing up and allows lights to stay green.

“You cut down on what we call signal phases, so everyone gets more green time, and you can pump more people through that intersection,” said GDOT District Traffic Engineer Daniel Trevorrow.

Trevorrow said the displaced lane could improve conditions by 10% in the morning and by 30% during the evening rush hour.

“This is all about redesigning our system to keep up with growth,” said Peachtree City Mayor Kim Learnard.

Learnard and Peachtree City held a town hall on Tuesday to address resident’s concerns. She says the plan has been in the works for years but is needed as projections show that the area around the city will continue to grow.

“30 percent more traffic, more population, more people,” Mayor Learnard said.

The displaced left turn lane would be the third in Georgia.