New turning lanes and sidewalks are among the $1.1 million worth of improvements proposed for the intersection of Roswell Road and Glenridge Drive.
More than 100 people attended a town hall meeting on April 28 to learn about plans to improve the dangerous intersection.
“The project includes 800 feet of improvements along Roswell Road and 800 feet along Glenridge Drive,” said project manager Marty Martin. “Plans are to relocate the intersection to line up with the driveway into Round Hill Condominiums, providing a true, four-way intersection.”
Consultants from Qk4, the engineering firm handling the project, were on hand to answer questions from the public.
“The project is designed to handle measured traffic flow along Glenridge Drive,” Martin said. “The current alignment is eschewed, and the intersection with Round Hill Condominiums has always been a problem, because it’s also slightly eschewed.”
The existing northbound, right-turn lane on Roswell Road that is north of the intersection will be eliminated to make room for two southbound left-turn lanes onto Glenridge. An additional eastbound lane on Glenridge also is planned.
“These improvements give us enough room for sidewalks on the south side of Glenridge and other pedestrian facilities,” Martin said. “This setup is safer and offers much better visibility to the intersection, and allow for much more predictable and safer access onto Roswell and Glenridge.”
Some residents were enthusiastic about the changes, which they say have been long in coming.
“I’ve been waiting for this project ever since Sandy Springs became a city,” said David Vitner, a former city council candidate. “Not everyone is going to be happy and satisfied with this plan, but this is probably the most dangerous intersection in the city.”
But others still had concerns about being able to safely turn left onto Roswell from their communities.
“My and many of my neighbors’ concern is turning left against two lanes of oncoming traffic,” said Judy Ridges, who lives in The Glenridge, a nearby complex. “We have difficulty now turning left against one lane of traffic. This is really the problem.
“Turning left out of our complex will become even more dangerous than it is now.”
Ridges and her neighbors are hoping a traffic light can be installed to allow them safer access onto Roswell Road.
The plans also call for the construction of a retaining wall to mitigate traffic noise in Ridges’ complex.
“While I don’t like losing the pretty green area in front of our fence, if the city is putting in sidewalks and building a nice stone wall, then I don’t have a problem,” she said.
Martin said the public hearing was designed to receive feedback from the public and residents.
“We came here to hear their concerns and ideas, and make whatever adjustments we believe we can.”
Construction is set to begin in 12 months.
==Tim Darnell
Don’t you mean “skewed”? “Eschewed” means something totally different.