On June 23 of last year a four year old girl was struck and killed by a car on Orchard Hill Road in Summerville.  Now the Georgia State Patrol Post Commander Scott Thompson and Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader have issued an opinion on the safety of that road at the request of Chattooga County Commissioner Jason Winters.

Law enforcement said that there is a high volume of traffic in the early morning and evening hours on Orchard Hill Road and during the school year there are numerous bus stops along the road.  They said that with the rolling hills and winding road and poor visibility in many areas “We both feel that action needs to be taken to reduce the number of crashes along this stretch of roadway and make it safer for those who reside in this community.”

The statement went on to say, “ Our suggestions to help reduce the number of crashes are three fold; first, reduce the speed limit on Orchard Hill Road between Hair Lake Road and Martin Dairy to 35 miles per hour.  Second, create a three way stop at Orchard Hill Road and Denson Road due to limited site distance.  Lastly, place “Stop Sign Ahead” signs on approach to Denson Road on Orchard Hill Road in both directions.   At your request, we feel we have assessed the situation and developed the most adequate traffic plan to reach our common goal.”

Commissioner Winters told AM 1180 this morning that the changes will be made within the next few weeks and should be ready by March 1, 2015.