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Spalding County engineer describes in-house fix on High Falls Road; staff say measures improved visibility and slowed traffic
Summary
The county's new in-house civil engineer described a safety enhancement on High Falls Road that included clearing, advisory signage, chevrons and reflective pavement markers; staff estimated project savings compared with outsourcing.
Spalding County’s newly hired in-house engineer presented a recently completed safety enhancement on High Falls Road and described a broader worklist the county expects to deliver in-house.
Mohammed, introduced as the county’s public works engineer, reviewed field observations at a stretch of High Falls Road where limited sight distance, speeding and a lack of signage had produced safety concerns near driveways and school access. After on-site measurement and AASHTO/MUTCD-based calculations, the county cleared vegetation to improve sight distance, installed curve-ahead signs with advisory speeds (25 mph on the first curve, 30 mph on the second), placed chevrons and installed reflective raised pavement markers (RPMs) in the centerline. Mohammed said residents who noticed the final work reported slower traffic and described the corridor as "10 times safer now." The teams estimated the work covered about 1,500 feet (a little over a quarter mile).
Public Works Director TJ Enberger told the board the in‑house approach produced immediate savings on the example project — staff estimated roughly $5,000 in savings compared with contracting the job out — and that Mohammed is managing roughly a dozen projects now. Enberger said higher long‑term savings are expected as the in‑house engineer handles regulation-driven work, designs consistent with GDOT and federal guidance, and reduces outside professional fees.
Why it matters: the county is using in‑house engineering resources to respond more quickly to citizen safety complaints and to reduce outsourcing costs tied to mandated standards. Commissioners asked follow‑up questions about other projects on the worklist (including a courthouse parking study being handled by Whitley Engineering) and about funding sources for road work.
No formal votes were taken; commissioners encouraged weekly updates on project status and data from Mohammed and his supervisor.
