Sandy Springs residents were happy to hear that the Mount Vernon Highway-Long Island Drive intersection would get improvements, but nearby residents worry a traffic light will cause delays.
The city held an open house at city hall on Oct. 17 on the intersection improvements. Sandy Springs staff and employees of the city’s design engineer, Kimley Horn, explained the project to residents.
The city plans to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Mount Vernon Highway and Long Island Drive, which also include the Arlington Cemetery driveway.
Long Island Drive has heavy queueing and long delays at the existing stop sign at Mount Vernon Highway. Drivers attempting to turn right from Long Island Drive to Mount Vernon Highway have their sight obstructed by vehicles turning left as drivers in the left lane creep ahead, residents said.
The project includes installing a traffic signal at the intersection, realigning the Arlington Cemetery driveway, installing new sidewalks, widening the roadway, and upgrading signage and striping.
Robert Burkholder attended the open house with his wife, Judy. He said they live in Long Island Walk, the first subdivision on the left on Long Island Drive.
Burkholder said as residents walk across Long Island Drive, they will cross short of the intersection. He said they have to hustle to avoid traffic turning left onto the road from Mount Vernon Highway.
He said improvements for pedestrians would be enough to justify the project, but Burkholder said there ware also problems with sight lines and the high volume of traffic.
Margo Parr is a resident of Rivershore Estates which shares a property line with the cemetery and is on Mount Vernon Highway. Parr said she understood the need for the traffic lights, but her concern was how long the lights would stay red. She said Mount Vernon Highway is the main artery to reach I-285.
“We don’t want to add more congestion or issues for that main artery,” Parr said.
She said nobody wants to sit at a red light when there’s no traffic on Long Island Drive.
Kimley Horn staff said the timing of the lights and automation should mean any waits will be brief.
Councilmembers Andy Baumann said he regularly drives this corridor and makes turns onto and off Long Island Drive. He said plans for the intersection are vast improvements over the original intersection.
The city’s handout on the project said the final design will be completed in winter 2024. A call for bids and the bid award are expected in spring 2025, with construction starting in summer 2025. Construction is estimated to take 10 months.
Comments are sought on the project and can be emailed to communications@sandyspringsga.gov. They can be mailed to City of Sandy Springs, 1 Galambos Way, Public Works Department, Sandy Springs, GA 30328.
Project information can be found at sandyspringsga.gov/MVHLongIsland.
