MOULTRIE, Ga. – Expect a new traffic pattern this week at State Route 37 and Cool Springs Road/Industrial Drive in Colquitt County as the Georgia Department of Transportation announced Monday the continuation of roundabout construction.

Contractor Reames and Son Construction Co. Inc. plans to shift traffic on Wednesday. Signs are currently posted for this. The DOT release states the intersection still looks like an intersection because there isn’t any concrete in the center for a roundabout. The contractor has been installing curb.

Georgia Department of Transportation proposed a single-lane roundabout to replace the four-way stop to reduce the number and severity of crashes, the DOT said. Plans were presented to the public in 2017. At that time data showed 16 crashes occurred at the intersection from September 2009 to July 2014, resulting in five injuries but no fatalities.

The release states fewer crashes occur in roundabouts because there are fewer points of conflict among drivers compared to a traditional intersection. Roundabouts also force drivers to slow down so if crashes occur they are less severe.
Construction of the $2.4 million project began in April of this year and is scheduled to be complete next spring.