Latest news with #Ussery
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Here's what you need to know about Augusta traffic during Masters Week
John Ussery used to encourage Masters Week motorists to avoid using GPS and keep their eyes on Augusta's roads instead of checking their phones. Now, there's an app for that. "For years and years my mantra was 'turn off your GPS, turn off your GPS,' but now it's 'turn on your GPS' and get the QR code and download the app," said the assistant director of the city's Traffic Engineering Division. Introduced last year, the QR code will direct users to available parking and provide not only which problem spots to avoid but also how to get around them. Ussery shared details about that Wednesday and other changes to daily Augusta traffic during the one week of the year where the world's eyes turn to the Masters Tournament. "This plan has been in place for quite a while now," Ussery said. "Every year our goal is to take what we've done, take what we've learned from the previous year and adjust it a little bit, hopefully just to improve final plans a little bit, improve the experience a little bit, and make sure the patrons have an easy experience getting to the parking area." One idea that worked last year is coming back this year. Local motorists might already have noticed a temporary traffic signal where Washington Road meets River Ridge Drive, next to National Hills Baptist Church. In 2024 the Augusta National Golf Club unveiled its first and only official hospitality venue, Map & Flag, with admittance costing $17,000 per ticket. The $17,000 question: Would you buy a ticket to the Augusta National's Masters hospitality house? Its location, in the former Electrolux building at National Hills Shopping Center, raises pedestrian traffic at a busy intersection with no crosswalk. The temporary signal solved the problem. The roundabout that joins Berckmans Road and Ingleside Drive will be conditionally closed to allow morning motorists to turn left from Ingleside onto Berckmans to reach Wheeler Road. Also, there will be a new rideshare lot at the corner of Washington and Berckmans roads. City workers call it the "TGI Friday's lot" because a restaurant location was on the 1.5-acre site. The Augusta National bought the land in 2015 for $2.5 million. Overall, the traffic plan is "much the same as it was last year," Ussery said. The Washington Road off-ramp from Interstate 20 will be closed each day from 7 a.m. to about 9 a.m. Traffic from Atlanta will be directed to Exit 200 to drive the short skip along River Watch Parkway to Alexander Drive. Depending on traffic volume, Alexander Drive will be closed near its railroad crossing so patrons can take River Watch to downtown, then to the John C. Calhoun Expressway and up Washington Road to the tournament. About 20 changeable message signs will help direct drivers to available parking areas. The timing of traffic signals also changes during Masters Week because the mission of traffic control also changes. The goal above all is to move traffic safely and efficiently to and from Augusta National. "So if you try to do something opposite of that, you're going to wait a while," Ussery said. "There's only so much we can do with signal timing." This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Masters Week traffic plan guides visitors how to drive, where to park
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Broad Street Project meeting open to the public for any questions they may have on the upcoming construction
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The Broad Street Project stakeholder informational meeting was held tonight. People had the chance to ask questions about the upcoming construction phases- and how those could affect downtown businesses and homes. The project goes through 15th Street to the East Boundary. Starting at 15th to 13th Street and will begin towards the end of this month. This is a two-year project but could take longer, depending on any issues that may come up during construction. Those I spoke to were surprised this wasn't an official meeting and wish they could have gotten more answers. 'I'm excited for the final product. Seeing the progress on 13th Street had really encouraged me. It is worth the headache a little bit, but at the same time, they can do better about communicating,' said Christina Berkshire, a resident. John Ussery, with Traffic Engineering, said they have learned from the projects they are currently doing that communication could be better. That's why they will work on keeping businesses and residents aware. 'We're going to do our best to make sure that we communicate everybody everything to everybody in a way that's understandable and well before it happens, and so we want to assure everybody that we're here to improve your business we want to see it thrive and succeed,' said Assistant Director of Traffic Engineering. 'And we'll do our best to make sure that there is adequate parking near your establishment.' The Augusta Sign Shop also hopes to make signs to point people in the direction of the businesses that are open during construction. Organizers are excited to enhance the experience on Broad Street. We're also excited about just the multi-mobile transportation aspect of it. So, instead of just people and cars and parking, we're going to make accommodations for wider sidewalks for pedestrians and bicycles,' said Ussery. They will bring downtown up to standard with bicycle lanes, bigger parking spaces, handicap ramps, and more. 'We're going to maintain one lane traffic in each direction. We will try to maintain as many temporary parking. This is the only opportunity the really the city has through the TIA program to invest into the downtown infostructure's.' said Hameed Malik, the Director of Engineering. Ussery told me that the projects currently under construction should be done by the time they begin this new project. To learn more information about the Broad Street Project and sign up for updates, you can find it on their website here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
