Citizens of Blackshear’s District 4 and the Pierce County NAACP want the city council to act on issues they say were created by recent rerouting at the U.S. Highway 84 and Hendry and Keller Streets intersection in Blackshear — commonly known as Five Points.
Charles Broady spoke on the group’s behalf at the last week’s regular council meeting.
Broady brought forward a packet of information compiled by the group after speaking with officials from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and researching the history of accidents at the intersection.
Changes to Five Points were done last year as part of a GDOT Quick Response project to improve traffic flow and enhance safety at the intersection by eliminating intersections with more than four points of entry across Georgia.
Highway Avenue was realigned to U.S. Highway 84 with construction of a right turn lane. Lee Street is one way from Hendry Street to Hall Street. Lee Street traffic no longer has access to enter the intersection.
Broady reported the group was informed by GDOT officials that the city council could make a request to have the traffic changes reversed.
Approximately 240 citizens from District 4 had signed a petition encouraging the city council to make such a request.
Recent upticks in incidents involving semi trucks trying to turn down Lee St. and other residential streets was a primary cause of concern.
Several residents present reported semi’s nearly becoming stuck while turning on to Lee St. and having to back out, damaging the street corner and tearing down posts in one woman’s yard.
Elderly citizens expressed concern for their personal safety and the safety of their property.
Mayor Keith Brooks requested Broady share the information gathered, because it seemed to contradict statements made by GDOT to him and other council members.
Brooks reported he and the council had reached out to GDOT officials in Atlanta and Jesup.
Brooks reported that the area’s congressional representative for the GDOT had received no complaints about the intersection from the Atlanta office.
The Area Traffic Manager in Jesup reportedly told Brooks that to make changes, the city would have to submit a request along with a proposal for different traffic flow.
The process could take up to two years and given how recent the changes were the request would most likely be denied.
It was suggested a joint group may need to be formed to get a single, clear answer on the community’s concerns.
In the meantime, it was suggested weight limit signs could be posted in the Lee St. area as a temporary deterrent to semi traffic.
Concerns over the changes were initially raised by Tinesha Hill at the December council meeting.
Hill, a resident of Henry St., reported neither she nor any of the other 27 residents on Henry St. had been amply notified about the recent traffic changes and had accidentally driven into construction areas or encountered “road closed” signs returning to their homes.
A larger group returned to the council’s January meeting to complain about the changes.
In both cases, Mayor Brooks and Police Chief Chris Wright explained that changes to the roads were a state project and GDOT officials failed to notify city officials on exact dates the changes would be taking place.
“I found out when I drove by and saw (the construction crew),” Chief Wright said at the time.
