Work has already begun on improving the chaotic intersection of Highway 21 and Towne Park.

According to Teresa Scott, district planning and programming engineer with the Georgia Department of Transportation, the light should be in full working mode by Aug. 7.

Right now crew members are making geometric improvements to the intersection. These include adding a left turning lane on each side of Towne Park. Concrete islands will be installed at all four corners to allow for a dedicated right turning lane. And a pedestrian crossing will be established all the way around the busy intersection.

Work on installing the traffic light is scheduled to begin on July 16 and completed on July 30. The light will then go into flash mode on Aug. 3 and should be fully functioning by Aug. 7.

“That’s what we hope to happen,” Scott said.

She acknowledged that the timeline is dependent on whether the crews run into construction problems.

Scott said the 2195 Group, a local development firm, played a role in expediting the traffic light installation.

They raised some of the money to offset the cost to GDOT in light of their plans to build an upscale, gated community at Towne Park West.