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Snellville reviews three GDOT options for Hwy 78/North Crestview; police say signal would better address T‑bone crashes
Summary
City staff presented three GDOT proposals — an arcut with delineators, a partial raised median, and a full concrete median — to reduce crashes at the Hwy 78/North Crestview intersection. The police chief warned the designs would not stop the worst T‑bone crashes and said a traffic signal would be more effective.
Snellville staff presented three design options proposed by the Georgia Department of Transportation to address frequent crashes at the Highway 78 and North Crestview intersection: an arcut (a center turn lane with delineators), a partial raised median to block some left turns, and a full concrete median that would eliminate left turns into the shopping center.
Police officials cautioned that the options would reduce some types of collisions but would not prevent the most serious T‑bone crashes occurring when eastbound drivers attempt high‑speed left turns from Highway 78 onto North Crestview. "The majority of accidents that... are major accidents are people traveling eastbound trying to make a left hand turn on the North Crestview," the Police Chief said, urging that a traffic signal would better address those severe collisions.
Staff said GDOT applies volume‑based warrants for signals and that the department typically does not install a traffic signal solely for a two‑hour peak‑period problem. Council members discussed tradeoffs including the time it takes to obtain a signal (staff said it can take about five years), the need for easements and dedicated turn lanes, potential impacts on nearby businesses if left turns were restricted, and the relative costs and durability of the options.
Why it matters: The intersection has recorded serious accidents, and the choice of intervention affects safety, traffic flow, local business access and the timeline for implementation.
Next steps: Staff will distribute the three GDOT option diagrams to council and advise on public outreach; no final decision or vote was taken at the work session.
