Big changes have already begun at a busy Henry County intersection in response to safety concerns from local residents.

  The Times reported on Nov. 13 about how people living on Turner Church Road near Hwy. 20 have made repeated pleas to state and local officials as they saw an increase in accidents at the intersection. Less than one month after the story was published, representatives of the Georgia Department of Transportation notified the public that a series of “temporary traffic control measures” would be implemented.

  The first such measure is already in place. The intersection is now a four-way stop, with crews first installing the necessary signage to alert motorists of the impending change and then erecting the stop signs within only a few days.

  According to an official statement from the Georgia DOT, a traffic light system will be implemented during the first quarter of 2020 “that will remain in place until the permanent solution is enacted.” That is expected to be a roundabout.

  As part of the four-way stop installation, workers have also installed rumble strips on Hwy. 20 to warn drivers of the impending stop at the intersection.

  “The Georgia DOT’s District 3 and Henry County have been collaborating on these short-term measures and will continue that cooperation with the planning and execution of the intersection’s future traffic control design, with engineers projecting a two-year timeline for full implementation of that design,” according to the statement. “Crews will place signage around the area to alert motorists of the work projects to occur next week and early next year. If lane closures are necessary, Georgia DOT will also make announcements through social media.”

  State officials warned of the likelihood of congestion at the intersection once the four-way stop became active. That prediction has come true already. Dozens of motorists have indicated on social media that they have sat in very long lines on the highway since the signage was installed.

  “It’s been great for us on Turner Church because there aren’t as many of us,” said Andrea Elmore, one of the residents whose consistent communications to county and state officials led to the recent changes. “But for those on Hwy. 20 it definitely slows them down. I’ve heard that it was backed up a mile one day for people coming from Conyers.”

  But the number of accidents – as many as three in a single day on one occasion – at or near the intersection appears to have been lowered significantly. That is the point of the traffic measures.

  Elmore noted that she has seen the difference. “I have not seen an ambulance or heard any sirens since the signs went up,” she acknowledged.