Letter: Consider other traffic fixes at Walthour Road and Johnny Mercer Blvd. intersection

I attended a public information event hosted by Chatham County to explain plans for the intersection of Walthour Road and Johnny Mercer Boulevard.

There were two options given.

One was a complete rework of the intersection and the construction of a roundabout.

The other was a less intrusive rework of the intersection with the installation of a red light.

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Both of these proposals were offered to ease congestion mainly in the morning and the afternoon when parents drop off and pick up their children from Saint Peter the Apostle Catholic School on Concord Road.

I think there are a few better and less costly solutions to this problem. One would be to place a "No left turn" sign overhead for traffic on Walthour Road approaching Johnny Mercer.

This would move traffic out to Highway 80 and Johnny Mercer where there already exists a traffic light. This "no left turn" sign would also state early morning and afternoon hours when the school traffic caused the congestion.

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The second would be the building of an additional right turn-only lane on Walthour Road onto Johnny Mercer. The money saved from not doing all this construction and right-of-way purchases could be used for much-needed repairs on Walthour Road.

This road has been in need of repaving for years. I know, as I have lived out here for 47 years and have watched the county patch and repatch the same crumbling spots over and over again.

Richard Mesaros, Savannah

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Letter: City should consider other traffic fixes at local intersection