Fort Oglethorpe to evaluate Dietz Road traffic flow issues
Fort Oglethorpe officials say they’re planning to have engineers look at traffic congestion issues along Dietz Road now that new developments could further impact the road’s flow.
Last year, construction began on Boynton Ridge Plaza, a development along Dietz Road that will see the popular Publix supermarket chain as its anchor tenant.
Then, in February, Fort Oglethorpe’s City Council approved a special exception zoning request that will allow for a new carwash to be erected next to Walgreen’s at Battlefield Parkway and Dietz Road.
Both developments have stirred conversation among residents given the already frustrating traffic flow that exists along Dietz Road when traveling from Cloud Springs Road to Battlefield Parkway.
On Monday night, March 12, City Manager Jennifer Payne-Simpkins said engineering is coming soon to see how the area’s congestion can be addressed.
“We are preparing to engage our engineer to design solutions for traffic on Dietz Road near Battlefield Parkway,” PayneSimpkins said. “New developments are underway at this intersection and additional interest in this area is growing among developers. We plan to seek state and federal resources to assist with implementing these solutions that will be presented to you all (City Council members) shortly.”
This biggest issue on Dietz Road
The walkout, attended by 200 HHS students, lasted for 17 minutes – one minute for each of the students killed in the Parkland, Fla., shooting. The SGA arranged for seven speakers, including Hannah and Christina, to give short talks.
“One thing we emphasized,” says Hannah, “was the importance of getting to know more students at the school, putting ourselves out there more.”
Students were called on to look around at the event and introduce themselves to someone they’d never spoken with before and to take that practice back into the school with them, so there wouldn’t be cases of angry or sad kids who feel school is an inhospitable and is the few hundred yards leading up to the intersection at Battlefield Parkway in front of Walgreen’s, says resident Danny Wilburn, who travels the road daily.
“Coming from Cloud Springs, it’s fine until you get closer to Battlefield Parkway,” Wilburn said. “There’s a right turn lane there, but sometimes you can’t get to it for awhile because of the people waiting to turn left back toward Ringgold, or the folks going straight ahead. Sometimes you can
unhappy place.
The names of the Florida victims were read aloud and the event closed with a moment of silence to remember them.
Bradford says the school was careful to assure the safety of the event and had extra officers from the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department there to sit there 10 minutes or longer if it’s really busy.”
In addition to Dietz, the city is also looking to ease the flow along Mack Smith Road near Steele Road by installing a rounda-bout with newly acquired land.
“The city has finalized survey plans to accept a land donation from ERTH LLC and Emerson Properties LLC at the intersection of Mack Smith and Steele Road,” PayneSimpkins said. “Acceptance of the
back up school resource officers.
“Our students are wonderful,” says Bradford. “They took initiative and communicated effectively. They didn’t argue. They focused on positive steps everyone can take to make schools safer. I’m proud of them.” donation will be on the next agenda on March 26, and the city will engage our engineer to begin a round-a-bout design. Construction funding will need to be identified based on cost projections as determined by our engineer.”
The round-about idea came into play after the city approved a zoning request in December to accommodate a new housing development in the 900 block of Steele Road. The development is expected to bring 60 new homes to that neighborhood.
Prior to approving the request for the development, the city ordered a traffic study in October that revealed expected high traffic counts for the roads, prompting the city to explore ways to alleviate the congestion.