May 8, 2014 -- Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany personnel, residents and visitors entering and exiting the installation from junctions on the west end of Fleming Road may expect to experience temporary additional congestion as road construction for widening and improvements get underway.
In efforts to eliminate potential drivers’ safety risks and reduce traffic congestion at the intersections of Mock and Fleming roads, Dougherty County’s Public Works Department will be overseeing the project, which commenced May 5 and is scheduled to run for the next several weeks, until it is completed.
The road widening of Fleming Road from Mock Road to Gaissert Street and the traffic signal installation at Mock and Fleming roads intersection is a public safety project on Dougherty County’s Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax VI Project List.
According to the project’s overseer, Chip Kelly, engineer, Dougherty County Public Works, Engineering Department, the project is in line with its public safety plan, which is being implemented by the county and is funded by appropriations from SPLOST dollars.
“We are going to install a signal light, an additional two turn lanes, a center lane, a turn lane at Pecan Lane and a turn lane at Short Street, including improving the railroad track crossing as well,” Kelly said. “This should help the morning and afternoon traffic flow. This will also address safety and traffic congestion as well.”
Kelly asked base personnel to “be patient, to observe road-work signs and slower moving construction equipment, to exercise caution and to drive safely,” during this process.
Heavy equipment can already be observed near the intersections as preparations by county
and contracted workers busy themselves for the weeks of construction to come.
“There will need to be a few linear feet of pipe laid, in preparation (and at the onset) of this project,” according to Bob Charleton, contractor/pipe supervisor, underground utilities, Hatcher Tractor Service, Albany, Georgia. “(As a result,) one lane closure may be necessary.”
In order to help reduce delays in traffic, Charleton said construction can be scheduled around peak traffic for base personnel.
The work crew said they will schedule construction to begin around 8 a.m. and will plan to end around 4 p.m. each day.
“I’ve been out here at 4 o’clock and have seen (the traffic) and it gets rough,” Charleton added. “We can arrange to work around (the high traffic times) as much as possible.”
Although the road is not scheduled to be completely closed at any time during this improvement project, there is always the potential of delays.
This process, which is scheduled to be in progress for several weeks, may create unexpected congestion in traffic at the referenced intersections.
Base personnel are urged to take extra precautions and to allocate additional travel time when planning their commutes to work each day.