As the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) moves forward with plans for a Highway 27 bypass that would ease congestion in downtown Summerville on Highway 27, the City of Summerville is being asked to recommend street closings for the proposed route.

The Georgia DOT says that the crash in downtown Summerville is higher than almost any other stretch of the 352 miles of U.S. Highway 27 in the state.  The proposed bypass would link Highway 48 and Highway 27 and prevent a lot of out-of-town traffic from having to use the downtown area, including the current Highway 48 – Highway 27 intersection.

The city was asked to recommend street closures based on railroad crossings in the area.

Summerville officials are recommending the closure of South Penn Street – also known as Oil Mill Road – and Jones Street.  South Penn Street runs from Montgomery Street near the railroad trestle to Jones Street, which is a cut through between Highway 114 and Highway 48 between Pay-N-Tote and Chattooga Printing.

City officials say that local businesses will still be able to be accessed, but the streets would be closed for through traffic.

Work on the new bypass is still in the planning stages by the Georgia Department of Transportation.