Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston announced, Thursday, May 7, that $150,000 in Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) funding from the Georgia Department of Transportation will go towards improving access to the new University of North Georgia (UNG) at Blue Ridge campus from Georgia Highway 515.
“This $150,000 in state funds will make it easier and safer to drive to our new UNG Blue Ridge campus,” Ralston said. “This campus will be a beacon for our community for generations to come and ensuring a safe commute is key to how this campus will serve the needs of our citizens. I appreciate the help of Mayor Donna Whitener and the members of the City Council in bringing these funds to Blue Ridge.”
According to Ralston, the $150,000 will fund a portion of the cost of modifying Highway 515 to include a Reduced Conflict U-Turn (RCUT) intersection, which is an intersection design that reduces crashes by changing how minor road traffic crosses or turns left at a major road, reducing the potential conflict with other vehicles.
The Georgia Department of Transportation explains that “at an RCUT, minor road traffic must turn right. Left turn and through movements from the minor road are accomplished through the use of a downstream U-turn. All movements (left, though, and right) are allowed from the major road.”
This new intersection will allow cars traveling north from downtown Blue Ridge to turn left across Highway 515 to drive onto campus.