Grovetown drivers say new diverging diamond is ‘real smooth’
GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Lewiston Road drivers experienced their first full day of the diverging diamond on Monday.
The diamond was part of Columbia County’s road widening project. It was closed over the weekend to drivers coming off the interstate.
The new interchange widens the road and allows for nonstop and unobstructed turns when entering and exiting the interstate.
The slab of diamond-shaped concrete in the middle flips traffic to the opposite side of the road and uses traffic arrows to guide vehicles through the interchange.
Tevin Robinson, who lives near the diamond, says what once was a pain, is now a convenience.
“Where they have the lights set up is actually perfect, you can’t really run into traffic the way it’s set up,” he said.
Before the diverging diamond, it typically took Robinson 20 minutes a day to get to the grocery store.
Similarly, those who work in the area were used to being backed up on I-20. Makayla Wolf usually gets to the Lewiston exit in the early morning hours for her shift at Dunkin’ Donuts.
The lights seem to be the catch-all.
“Now where there’s lights there, it’s quicker, you know, because we can just go when it’s green, so you don’t have to wait for the traffic coming in. So it’s just real smooth,” said Wolf.
Wolf would usually have to wait 10 minutes to get off the interstate.
“Finally I’m like, ‘Oh, great!’ Now I don’t have to worry about traffic or I don’t have to worry about going down Columbia Road and trying to get to work,” she said.
With the reopening of the exit, and with almost back to regular traffic flow, businesses are hoping once again that their patronage returns the same.
“It was super slow. Because a lot of our traffic comes through this way. With the whole bridge closed, we saw probably like 120 cars, and in the afternoon it’s usually dead,” said Wolf.
Later in the day, afternoon rush hour didn’t back up traffic all the way onto the interstate.
Addison Carroll, who drives through Lewiston Road every day, said: “It felt pretty good today here in Grovetown. It’s been really hard living here for the past year or so. Just coming home every day at 5:30 p.m. and being backed up for a mile, mile and a half on I-20, it was super dangerous for everybody. I think today I came home at 5:30 p.m. like I always do and we weren’t backed up. That was a really good feeling to be stuck out there on I-20 with 18-wheelers driving by and people cutting each other off. I think it’s like a safer version. I’m hoping it stays that way for the long run. It’s day one but I mean, as far as right now, it looks pretty good.”
He travels to Charlotte where he says there are more diverging diamonds. He says the new traffic pattern is just something people have to practice to make perfect.
“It’s like learning new things in life. Once you do it once or twice, you’re like, ‘Oh, this is easy.’ So, I don’t think it’s anything to be scared of. Once everybody gets used to it and the whole city kind of conforms to it, I think it’s gonna be a great help to the city,” said Carroll.
Local businesses like Tipsy Bar and Grill say they’re hoping the faster traffic will give more time for people to stop in.
“Hopefully it’ll bring people into Grovetown a little more and out this way. Stop by and have a drink or two,” said manager Rebecca Smith.
The contractor allowed crews 90 hours of work to be done based on other projects, but it finished ahead of schedule.
There are still a few more finishing touches to be made before it’s complete.
“There are finishing touches to be done, and there will still be intermittent lane closure that take place as crews continue paving, working on curbing and gutters, work on the islands at the diverging diamond interchange, and restripe the project,” said Columbia County in a statement. “We anticipate the project being completed in late June/early July. However, that is weather dependent.”
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