Archer Western Construction and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) have determined that a full closure of the Jimmy Daniell Road intersection at SR 316 for approximately six months is needed during construction of the new interchange.
The proposed detour would route traffic along Atlanta Highway and Mars Hill Road to access SR 316 and US 78.
GDOT has not provided a timeline for the closure, but it did announce that heavy construction and bridge pile driving is expected to start in early 2026 at the SR 316 and Jimmy Daniell intersection.
GDOT has scheduled a Public Information Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 22 at Mars Hill Baptist Church, 2661 Mars Hill Road, to get public reaction to the detour plans.
Project details and detour maps will be available on the project website by Jan. 8, according to the GDOT announcement.
GDOT also announced via its project newsletter that crews are continuing erosion control, grading, and median work along SR 316 from west of the Jimmy Daniell Road intersection to east of the Oconee Connector intersection.
Clearing activities currently are paused due to permit restrictions, the announcement said. Clearing will resume in the spring.
Revision Of Plans
GDOT previously had announced the possibility of a detour of up to 45 days for traffic from Jimmy Daniell Road seeking to enter SR 316 westbound.
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| Jimmy Daniell Interchange (Click To Enlarge) |
In its Dec. 23 announcement, GDOT said that “The project team has determined that a temporary full closure of the Jimmy Daniell Road intersection, along with a defined detour, would improve safety and expedite construction.”
“The proposed detour would route traffic along Atlanta Highway and Mars Hill Road to access SR 316 and US 78 and is anticipated to be in place approximately six months,” the announcement continued.
Archer Western, contractor for the project, and GDOT are “seeking public input on a proposed detour for the SR 316 and Jimmy Daniell Road Intersection project,” according to the announcement.
For those unable to attend the open house, according to the announcement, project handouts, detour maps, and public comment cards will be available on the project website by Jan. 8.
Public comments also will be accepted online from Jan. 8 through Feb. 2.
Construction on the intersections of SR 316 with Jimmy Daniell Road, Virgil Langford Road, and the Oconee Connector is expected to continue through at least the end of 2028.
Virgil Langford Road will fly over SR 316 without access to the divided highway, while multi-grade intersections will be built at Jimmy Daniell Road and at the Oconee Connector.
The Dec. 23 announcement said “To ensure safety for both workers and travelers, traffic control operations remain in place throughout the corridor.”
“Motorists are encouraged to drive with caution throughout the area and be alert for signage and traffic adjustments as work continues,” the announcement stated.
Link To 2024 Document
The Dec. 23 newsletter provided a link to a GDOT document from April of last year that provides environmental and public information details of all three of the intersections now under construction.
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| Virgil Langford And Oconee Connector Interchange (Click To Enlarge) |
A diagram in the package shows Jimmy Daniell Road being shifted to the east and crossing over SR 316, with entrance and exit ramps connected to a single-lane roundabout both north and south of the divided highway.
Jimmy Daniell Road itself will have one lane in each direction.
The 2024 document notes that the “spelling of the roadway name is ‘Jimmy Daniel Road’ on some of the existing roadway signage and ‘Jimmy Daniell Road’ on other signage. The Georgia DOT has determined that ‘Jimmy Daniell Road’ will be the spelling used in future documentation and roadway signage.”
Virgil Langford Road will shift slightly to the east and will cross over SR 316 with one lane in each direction.
SR 316 will cross over the Oconee Connector. The Connector also will move to the east and consist of four lanes, two in each direction.
GDOT announced in September that a previously planned short-term closure of the eastbound exist of SR 316 onto the Connector no longer will be necessary.
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