- Core upgrades include narrowing lanes, adding sidewalks, and building a roundabout at Kern, Reid, and Remington.
- Safety measures like reworked signal timing and a hard divider will reduce speeding and accidents.
- Improved stormwater management and relocated access points enhance road usability and pedestrian safety.
BROADCAST SCRIPT
People who I've talked to say they've noticed the speeding—sometimes 60 miles per hour—on a road posted at 35.
I'm uncovering how a new project promises to bring safety and sanity back to one of Thomasville's busiest streets.
For years, Remington Avenue has been a hotspot for speeding and crashes…
Now, the City of Thomasville is tackling these issues with a $5 million improvement project.
The engineering department first proposed in 2017 as a $22 million plan.
But after budget cuts, the focus shifted to core improvements:
Adding sidewalks, narrowing lanes, and building a roundabout at the busy Kern, Reid, and Remington intersection.
"The traffic here is very busy, especially during rush hour, early in the morning, it's a very busy street on both sides," said Walden.
Robert Walden lives at the intersection where the new roundabout will be built. He says the area sees heavy congestion daily.
"I think adding a roundabout is needed for the safety, especially for the kids going to school trying to cross the intersection out there," said Walden.
Mark Harmon, City engineer says narrowing the lanes is also a key part of the project.
"As you travel in an area where houses and buildings are pushed back and the road feels wider, you tend to drive faster. When it gets more crowded and you got people against the roadway, you tend to slow down," said Harmon.
The project includes:
- Reworking signal timing at Smith and Kern intersections.
- Addressing stormwater issues to prevent flooding.
- Installing new traffic signals at Covington Avenue.
- Adding a hard divider at the north end to reduce accidents.
These changes aim to improve both safety and traffic flow across a nearly two-mile stretch of road.
The entrance to the YMCA and picnic area will also be moved closer to the fire station to provide safer and easier access.
"This will enable people that are there with kids for soccer games and traveling baseball teams, that sort of thing when there is a traffic glut that comes in or out, for them to exit more freely," said Harmon.
Bids are due December 5th, with construction starting next year and finishing by 2025.
