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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2010
DOT calls for major road changes in Jefferson
Artwork of Jackson County’s
historic courthouse sought
Contest under way now through Oct. 14
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
TO CHILI DAWGS owner
Barry Breitbard, a plan to
revamp traffic patterns in
Jefferson makes no sense.
“They worked real hard
to leave me a building with
no parking.” he said of the
state-designed transporta
tion plan. “If I open my
front door and step out, I’m
in their right-of-way.”
Breitbard’s six-year-old
business rests in the cen
ter of an area that's slated
to undergo major changes,
according to a plan unveiled
by the Georgia Department
of Transportation on
Tuesday.
Currently. S.R. 82 and
S.R. 15 Alternate create a
“Y” intersection in front of
Chili Dawgs.
Under a proposed plan,
that intersection would be
relocated behind the store
to create a new, 90-degree
intersection with Peach
Hill Drive. A traffic light
would also be installed at
the intersection, near the
Curry Creek gas station.
Breitbard is concerned the
project could lead to Chili
Dawgs closing its doors at
the Sycamore Street loca
tion.
“In the very beginning of
construction, I’ll have a lot
of construction workers out
there (as potential custom
ers) and that could be very
beneficial,” he said. “But as
an end product, we may not
exist there.”
The Georgia DOT's plans
for redesigning how traf
fic moves through Jefferson
near the Curry Creek bridge
call for some big changes.
First, it would create two,
one-way streets on both
sides of the city’s Curry
Creek Park.
Second, two new bridges
will be constructed over the
creek.
And, third, it would
install a new traffic signal
at the revamped intersec
tion by Chili Dawgs, while
removing an existing traf
fic light at the intersec
tion of S.R. 15 ALT/S.R.
82 (also called Sycamore
Street) and S.R. 335 (also
called Danielsville Street or
Brockton Road).
“Overall, the project will
move more traffic safer
through the area — and
that’s always our goal,”
said DOT spokesperson
Teri Pope.
The DOT is expected to
start construction on the
estimated $8.2 million
project in fiscal year 2013
— which starts on July 1,
2012, and ends on June 30,
2013. Construction is slated
to take two years and will
be done in phases, Pope
said.
On the one-way streets,
one would take motorists
northbound along Kissam
AN ART CONTEST to
garner a portrait of the
Jackson County historic
courthouse, restored to its
1908 appearance, is now
under way. with entries due
no later than Oct. 14.
The winning work, com
posed of oil, pastels, char
coal, acrylic or watercolor
at a minimum size of 16
by 20 inches and maximum
of 36 by 48 inches, will be
displayed in the courthouse.
The work must show the
courthouse exterior once the
restoration is complete.
The contest is open to
county residents ages 16
and up. Three entries may
be submitted per person,
with a $25 entry fee per
entry. A prize of $500 will
be awarded to the winning
artist. The artwork will be
used on promotional items
for the historic courthouse,
with the artist given credit
each time.
For more information,
contact Charlotte Mealor at
706-621-0489 or cmealor@
uga.edu. Entry forms are
available online at www.
jacksoncountygov.com.
Under the “Government”
tab, scroll down to “County
sponsored agencies and
non profits” and click on
JCHCRC.
tive routes, but through an
area like this — adjacent to
downtown Jefferson that has
so much history — there’s
not many alternatives that
are viable,” Pope said. “We
not only have to meet a fed
eral environmental law, but
also we have to have sound
engineering design and the
A LOOK AT THE PLANS
Guests at an informational open house on Tuesday got
the first glimpse of a plan by the Georgia Department of
Transportation to overhaul traffic in Jefferson.
Street — in front of the
Jefferson Civic Center
— from Storey Street to a
new intersection at S.R. 82
and S.R. 15 ALT.
Motorists traveling east-
bound through Jefferson
on S.R. 82/S.R. 15 ALT
(Sycamore Street) would
also drive on a one-way
road over the Curry Creek
Bridge.
An existing bridge over
the creek — between
Kissam Street and S.R.
82/S.R. 15 ALT — would
be shifted to create a larg
er bridge. Another bridge
would also be constructed
over the creek on Kissam
Street.
“I think it will be helpful
for people coming in and
out of town,” said Jefferson
Mayor Jim Joiner, one of
more than 65 people who
attended an informational
open house on the plans.
But for drivers coming
from Nicholson on S.R. 335
(also called Danielsville
Street or Brockton Road),
there’ll be no more left
turns heading directly into
downtown Jefferson.
Instead, motorists will
have to take a right turn and
drive on the one-way street
of S.R. 82/S.R. 15 ALT,
go over a bridge, turn left
on Kissam Street and con
tinue past the civic center
to drive into downtown —
essentially creating a loop.
The plan, however, would
preserve the historic Curry
Creek Bridge, the neigh
boring Kinney Building and
other environmental fea
tures in the area.
“The beautiful arched
bridge will stay the same,”
Pope said. “It’s historic, we
love it, but it’s also pro
tected by federal law.”
Years ago, engineers
once considered removing
the Curry Creek Bridge
to improve traffic flow in
Jefferson — which was met
with a public outcry. The
bridge was built in 1929
and is considered unique
for its large arches over the
creek.
“We did look at alterna-
community input.”
The Curry Creek Park
will be protected by the
project and will remain
open during construction,
she added. It will create
access to the park under
the new bridges. Sidewalks
will also be constructed on
both sides of the streets.
The DOT has been work
ing on a plan for traffic over
the Curry Creek Bridge
since 2000, Pope said. A
public hearing on a pro
posal was initially held in
2004, but had to be recon
sidered in light of federal
regulations and the park.
The state agency must
purchase 19 parcels for the
project and one house will
be demolished to make way
for the new intersection
near Chili Dawgs.
Pope explained how the
DOT generally deals with
affected property owners of
road projects, but said she
couldn’t talk about specific
properties — such as Chili
Dawgs.
BRIDGE WON’T BE AFFECTED
Under a proposal to change traffic patterns in
Jefferson, the historic Curry Creek Bridge would remain
untouched. Photos by Kerri Testement
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