A traffic engineering study has been scheduled to examine the intersections of Highway 78 and Highway 100 and Highway 78 and Head Avenue, according to Georgia Department of Transportation officials.

According to Steve Sanders, district traffic operations manager for the DOT’s Cartersville office, a request came from Tallapoosa City Manager Phillip Eidson to add left turn signals (or phases) on both the east- and westbound sides of the intersections.

Tallapoosa Planning Coordinator Patrick Clarey said that residents have complained about traffic problems caused by large trucks turning left onto Highway 100 N. from Highway 78 E. Because cars have to wait on trucks to negotiate turns, “usually only one car gets through (the red light),” he said.

Mohamed Arafa, communications officer for DOT’s Cartersville office, said that when the DOT receives a request for road improvement, a study must be performed to examine factors including volume, peak hours of traffic and the topography of the intersection.

“When we receive a request like that for a traffic signal or upgrading we do something we call a traffic engineering study to see ... whether the intersection is warranted according to manual or uniform traffic control devices,” he said.

Arafa said that the traffic study engineer decides what upgrades an intersection needs. Some common upgrades include adding turn lanes, realigning intersecting roads, adding stop signs, installing or upgrading traffic signals or taking no action at all. According to Arafa, the traffic study engineer submits a recommendation to the office of the State Traffic Safety and Design Engineer in Atlanta, which must approve the recommendation before work can begin on an area.

“When it comes to safety, the Georgia DOT does not compromise,” Arafa said. “But we have to decide first if the location of the study proves that signalization is warranted.”

Sanders said that the Atlanta office usually agrees with their recommendations. “We have a pretty good feel for what they expect and what they will approve,” he said.

Sanders said that an engineer will most likely be sent to study the Tallapoosa intersections within the next two weeks.

“This particular study is pretty cut-and-dry,” he said. “There’s not that much to it other than getting the counts to determine if the phases are needed.”