Highway 133 project makes for challenging commutes

DOERUN – Taking a drive down state Highway 133 north or south from the little town of Doerun in Colquitt County can mean a few delays these days.

From slowly moving dump trucks turning in and out of work sites and occasional one-way traffic, to reduced speed limits and lack of passing opportunities, the four-laning project is having an impact on traffic flow.

Shifts in traffic patterns are also fairly frequent as crews pave a section of roadway to which traffic is then moved while a section of the old roadway is refurbished and paved.

But there is a method to the madness.

The traffic pattern switches are designed to prevent what could be an even greater disruption for drivers: detours along the route, Georgia Department of Transportation spokesperson Juanita Birmingham said.

When traffic is detoured for work on state routes, the traffic must be routed along other state roadways, which can lead to circuitous routes that can mean longer commutes for drivers.

Rerouting along other state roads is necessary because county roads may not be rated to handle the heavy loads that the state roadways can handle, Birmingham said.

Currently, four area projects are underway, stretching from Moutrie to the south and extending through Colquitt and Worth County and ending in Dougherty County.

All of the individual projects from Moultrie to Mock Road just outside of Albany have been let, with the exception of Doerun, where the work will involve making one-way streets of two city streets to allow for two-lane traffic in each direction through the city.

The four-laning from Moultrie to Valdosta has been completed for several years.

In Worth County, the contractors will construct a roundabout at the intersection at state Highways 133 and 112, an intersection that has been the site of several serious accidents.

“It (the roundabout) was not a part of that project originally, but it was added,” Birmingham said.

State traffic records show that there have been 35 accidents at the intersection from January 2020 through the current date. From those accidents, 22 injuries were reported, with at least two of the wrecks causing serious injuries.

So far in 2024, there have been nine accidents at the intersection, with seven injuries reported.

In recent years, state engineers have turned to roundabouts to slow traffic at busy intersections and at locations where there have been a high number of accidents.

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]