Oconee County considering removal of through-truck traffic ordinance

The board of commissioners in Oconee County, Georgia, is considering a revision to its truck traffic ordinance that would remove current truck restrictions on certain roads in the county.

As part of this review, the county is requesting feedback from the public.

A truck traffic ordinance public comment form is available on the Oconee County government website.

Comments are due by June 7 at 4 p.m. EST.

The routes being considered for a revision to this order, according to the Oconee County website:

• Astondale Road from U.S. 441 to State Route 15.
• Mars Hill Road from State Route 53 to Daniells Bridge Road.
• Oconee Connector from State Route 316 to Daniells Bridge Road.

A truck traffic ordinance currently in place states its purpose is to “regulate and restrict the parking, through travel and overnight storage of trucks on the public road system of Oconee County, Georgia.”

Truck traffic affects the traveling citizens of Oconee County, Ga., and on certain roads and at certain locations within the county can create safety hazards, says the current ordinance.

The Georgia Department of Transportation manages the 10th largest transportation network in the United States, according to 2021 transportation data from GDOT.

GDOT divides the state of Georgia into seven districts. District 1, which includes Oconee County, contains nearly 2,300 miles of state routes.

The 2021 GDOT data said state routes comprise 19% of Georgia’s lane miles but carry 59% of all traffic.

The Oconee County revision would include three state routes (SR 15, SR 53 and SR 316).

Oconee County is about a one-hour’s drive from the state’s largest city, Atlanta, and just 15 minutes south of Athens, Ga., the sixth most populated city and home to the University of Georgia.

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners regular meeting is scheduled for June 7 with in-person and virtual options. LL

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