Augusta officials announce new traffic patterns, real-time navigation app for 2024 Masters
The City of Augusta on Wednesday announced its traffic plan for this year's Masters Tournament, revealing a new traffic signal at Washington Road and River Ridge Drive and an official Masters navigation system.
In the mornings, the off-ramp to Washington Road will be closed and traffic will be directed from River Watch Parkway to Alexander Drive.
John Ussery, assistant director of the city's traffic engineering division, said most of the heavy traffic will occur 7-10 a.m., as more than 30,000 cars travel down Washington Road.
In the evenings, a left turn lane will be closed on Alexander Drive, Kroger access will be limited to right out only, and there will be a closure at the Surrey Center.
"For those in homes or apartments [off Berkmans Road], the only way to access your residence will be to come from Washington Road," Ussery said.
A new traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of Washington Road and River Ridge Drive, providing increased safety for patrons walking along the busy road, said officials.
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"It was a multi-agency [initiative] that needed to happen," Ussery said. "The reason we needed to have [a new traffic signal] this year is because Augusta National Golf Club purchased the old Electrolux building and are turning it into a new venue. What that means for traffic is that there will be a lot of pedestrians that will want to cross the intersection where there are no crosswalks, which can be very dangerous."
Ussery said the new signal is powered on and ready to go as of Wednesday. However, it will not become active until Monday.
The lane shift on River Watch Parkway will also go into effect Monday.
Official Masters QR code
In attempt to make travel and parking easier for patrons, Augusta National Golf Club created an official Masters QR code.
The code, which has already been sent out to patrons, will open in a navigation app of the user's choosing and provide real-time traffic and parking updates to help patrons get from point A to point B with less hassle.
Ussery said changes to the roads will be sent to the navigation apps in real-time, as diversions or closures are implemented.
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"We're excited about that this year and it should really help with confusion we've had in the past," he said. "This is the first time it's been employed, so we'll do our best to make sure it works great."
Overall, Ussery said Masters traffic should work similar to the way it has in the past. Message boards and signs will still be in place, for those who are not as tech-savvy.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: New traffic patterns, app implemented for 2024 Masters
