SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is responding after a South Fulton Councilwoman called for changes at a dangerous intersection.
Since 2018, there have been 41 wrecks at the intersection of Camp Creek Parkway and Butner Road, three of them fatal, according to South Fulton Police. It’s also where off-duty Atlanta Police Department officer Bennie Hardeman was killed on July 27.
The crash renewed calls for change at the notoriously tricky intersection.
South Fulton Councilwoman Carmalitha Gumbs wants a left turn signal, a lower speed limit and a speed study.
Natalie Dale, spokesperson for GDOT, says they’ve been looking at that stretch of road for years and have already acted on recommendations based on a road safety audit in 2014.
“Out of that initial road safety audit, by 2020, we completed a handful of things from that which included some pedestrian accommodations, some redoing of the islands, and enhanced pavement markings,” Dale said.
Dale says the road safety audit made six recommendations. Four of those, she says, have been completed. Two more are still in queue with the district, although she didn’t specify what they are.
Dale says determining what needs to change means figuring out what’s causing all the crashes.
“Is it distraction? Is it speed? Those roads can’t necessarily be engineered to reduce speeding or distracted drivers,” she said.
If it’s speed, Dale says GDOT relies heavily on their law enforcement partners. However, recent crashes have their experts taking a closer look and asking if there’s a new trend and something more to be done.
“Is there something that can be done from an engineering standpoint or needs to be done from an engineering standpoint to enhance this roadway, to increase safety?” Dale said.
No department is releasing information about the crash that killed Officer Hardeman. South Fulton Police turned its investigation over to Georgia State Patrol where it’s still an active investigation.