DOT plans changes to courthouse roundabout

Several key traffic changes are coming to the roundabout at the historic county courthouse this week.

Danielsville mayor Todd Higdon said the Georgia Department of Transportation plans to revamp the roundabout beginning Friday, Oct. 12.

The changes will include the implementation of yield signs instead of stop signs at both Crawford W. Long and Madison Streets where traffic enters the roundabout and the yield signs on the roundabout will be eliminated to give traffic traveling in the roundabout the right-of-way all the way around the courthouse.

In other words, traffic will no longer have to yield to oncoming north or south traffic on Hwy. 29 (General Daniel Avenue) while they are traveling around the courthouse. Instead, traffic on Hwy. 29 will yield so the roundabout will remain uncongested with backed up traffic. Higdon said state DOT engineers feel this will eliminate some of the morning congestion from school and work traffic around the courthouse by keeping the roundabout traffic flowing freely.

In addition, the current crosswalks have been deemed to not meet current state safety standards and will be removed. They will be replaced by two newly striped crosswalks on the north and south sides of the courthouse and will include the current concrete islands.

“None of this is being paid for by the city,” Higdon said, adding that the city’s only expense will be to add ramps to the concrete islands in the crosswalks to make them handicap accessible.


“Hopefully this will make it much safer for pedestrians entering the courthouse,” Higdon said.

Higdon said the changes came about after state engineers visited Danielsville to discuss modifications to the red light at Hwy. 29 and Hwy. 98.

Higdon said the DOT will also require lower speed limits in the city as the result of these changes. “Citizens traveling through town need to be aware of this,” Higdon said, adding that he is not sure at this point when the new limits will be implemented.

Higdon said he encourages those traveling through town to be very cautious and aware of the traffic rules for the roundabout.
“Drivers need to really pay attention, we don’t want any accidents,” he said. “I know it’s a change, but I believe it’ll be a change for the better, it’ll just take a while to get used to it.”

Higdon said the signage and restriping process should take no more than a day or two for the state to complete.