Drivers who have been used to cruising down College Street in Cedartown will need to take notice right now: new four way stops are going up soon.

The City Commission is expected to vote to approve next Monday, February 12, during their regular session a request to turn the intersections of West Jule Peek Avenue and College Street and West Girard Avenue and College Street into four way stops.

Along with that, the stop light will come down and a four-way stop will be going in permanently at the intersection of College Street, East Avenue and Wissahickon Streets.

City Commission Chair Jessica Payton was happy with that news as she has heard from neighbors where she lives in the area that getting rid of the red light was a positive move for the intersection, and one her neighbors have told her will be to benefit for everyone.

“That’s a great idea and I would love that,” she said. “The First Methodist people are super happy about it…” she said. “We like it. The churches like it, we all like it.”

The red light on College Street at the main intersection with East Avenue and Wissahickon Streets has been out for several weeks and in need of repair and was temporarily turned into a four-way stop until the city decided whether to go with that plan or another.

Cedartown Police Deputy Chief Brad Coppock reported to the City Commission on Monday during their work session that despite being conservative about making changes, they are in favor of it.

“Our initial thought was keep the light,” he said. “After some conversation, it is really 50-50 on where to side. We also view it a lot from everything we do from a litigation standpoint. The first serious crash that happens there, no matter the cause of it – the cause will be blamed on the city changing the intersection.”

Coppock did make it clear that the city will have to invest in extra safety precautions at the three intersections to avoid future safety concerns.

The City is changing the other two intersections from two-way to four-way stops ahead of a planned construction project to replace the bridge on North Main Street. It will require a shutdown of the roadway until the bridge is replaced, requiring much of the traffic through town to shuffle over to College Street from Girard Avenue to Jule Peek Avenue.

The closure of the strip is coming as contractors approved by the Georgia Department of Transportation gathered in recent weeks to begin the planning and staging work for the upcoming bridge replacement, but the city wants drivers to get used to the changing traffic patterns now.

City Manager Edward Guzman proposed that the City Commission vote on Monday to approve the changes, and then implement them beginning in March regardless of when the bridge replacement work is set to begin. The plan is to provide full flashing signs, rumble strips and other traffic control measures that GDOT will help pay for since the detour is being created by them.

He said during the work session he is “hoping it is more like May” before the bridge project gets underway.

“When we met with them (contractors) and saw the layout and infrastructure on the underside, there were a couple that were like ‘wheeeew.’ … They can’t cut the water off to the businesses. They have to make sure that there’s still water and sewer working under there,” Guzman said.

Payton added she felt changing all three intersections at the same time would be beneficial for residents overall, forcing them to make the adjustments in their driving habits now before traffic becomes a real headache when the bridge replacement begins.

“It’s one, two, three rather than being just the one,” she said. “Circumstantially, it just works out to change all three at the same time and will make a bigger impact on College Street and stick in residents’ minds,” she added.

Along with new stop signs and a requirement for all drivers to stop at the three intersections, Commissioner Dale Tuck also wants to ensure that pedestrians in the area are safe.

She asked for additional signage to be put up ahead of the forthcoming bridge project detour to ensure drivers are kept aware of the pedestrians who walk through the area throughout the day.

“We have a lot of walkers, and that is a dangerous place even with the lights on,” she said. “People are turning every which way at those intersections, and they don’t pay attention enough.”

Check back for an update on when the new intersection changes are set to occur.