Duluth is wrapping up two downtown road projects that will significantly change lives for drivers and residents in the area.
The first involves extending Davenport Rd across Buford Hwy. The second project will change the three public at-grade crossings in Duluth to quiet zone crossings.
Davenport Rd Extension
Margie Pozin, PE, CQA, the Director of Community Development and Engineering for Duluth, said that the Davenport Rd extension has been planned for a long time. It involves connecting Davenport Rd on the east side of Buford Hwy with Davenport Rd Extension that is in the South on Main neighborhood.
Pozin explained that the project was delayed because the area where South on Main is located used to be an asphalt plant.
“It didn’t make sense to extend Davenport at that time,” she said, “We were waiting for this development to be in place so that we could connect the two.”
Making the relatively short connection across Buford Hwy might seem straightforward but it becomes complicated when you factor in a traffic light, the existing roads near that intersection, and a railroad track.
Traffic light warrants needed
In Georgia, the state Department of Transportation (DOT) must approve the installation of a new traffic light. Their approval requires that the intersection meet the parameters of what are called warrants based on the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards.
“We’ve been trying to get a signal here for a long time,” Pozin said, “and it didn’t meet warrants.”
There wasn’t enough volume of traffic for those initial warrants to be approved.
Yet, adding the anticipated traffic from the Davenport Rd Extension and the new residential and commercial development on Buford Hwy was enough to meet the MUTCD standards. An added benefit is that it provides a safe pedestrian crossing for Buford Hwy.
The traffic lights were installed earlier this year and are functional at the intersection.
Improved safety
The new intersection will also eliminate the need for a short section of Buford Hwy with a two-way left-turn median. In that area, cars going both north and south on Buford Hwy can merge into a single lane to make a left-hand turn.
From a traffic safety point of view, Pozin said, “If two opposing vehicles are sharing a lane, it’s less than ideal.”
A main reason why that median is necessary is because of South Peachtree Rd, a short road just north of Davenport. It connects the end of Hardy St and Buford Hwy and crosses the railroad track diagonally.
Once Davenport Rd is connected, South Peachtree Rd will be closed. Hardy St will end at the Duluth Library entrance, and curbing will be installed on Buford Hwy to close off that end.
The city is requesting a landscape lease for the land between what will be the end of Hardy and the railroad. They have similar leases along the downtown stretch of track so that they can maintain the grounds.
Anticipated traffic changes
Obviously, traffic patterns in the area will change, but Pozin does not expect them to be too drastic.
The largest change is expected to be for people driving north on Buford Hwy. Where they used to have to go up to the Hwy 120 intersection to turn left into downtown, many of them will likely turn on Davenport Rd.
Gateway signs on Buford Hwy and Davenport Rd will inform drivers how to get to downtown.
Yellow striping on Davenport Rd will encourage drivers to turn onto Main St. Pozin pointed out that all the parking spaces currently on Davenport Rd, Main St, Hill St, and West Lawrenceville will remain in place.
Railroad quiet zones
The second project will convert three downtown at-grade railroad crossings to quiet zone crossings, which are also called reduced whistle zones.
The three quiet zone crossings will be the new Davenport Rd crossing, the Hwy 120 crossing, and the Brock Rd crossing. Since South Peachtree Rd is going to be closed, the existing railroad crossing there will be removed.
“Once the quiet zone goes into effect,” Pozin explained, “there will be no train whistles except in an emergency.”
More changes incoming
Duluth is required to install supplemental safety measures for the quiet zones. The pavement will have appropriate signage and markings. The flashing red lights (known as wig wags) and bells that most Duluth residents are familiar with will remain.
The crossing at Brock Rd will get new four quad gates and some additional sidewalks. The crossing at Davenport will also have pedestrian Z gates as an additional safety measure.
FRA approval pending
The final step in implementing the quiet zones is to get the approval of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
“We will submit a notice of intent to the FRA,” Pozin explained, “and they will let us know if it’s granted.”
Duluth won’t officially get FRA approval until the end of the process, but Pozin has been working with them and all the other agencies involved throughout, so they are cautiously optimistic the request will be approved.
Complex projects
Although both projects are entirely in Duluth, Pozin pointed out that “it’s not just a local project on a local road.”
She and her teams for the city are working with federal, state and county organizations, along with Norfolk Southern. The final completion dates for the projects are dependent on Norfolk Southern completing the work that they have to do on the tracks. Once they do, Duluth is ready to put on the finishing touches.
Photo caption: An aerial view of how Davenport Rd will connect both sides of Buford Hwy.
