Turning left along one of Loganville’s busiest shopping corridors can mean waiting for an opening across several lanes of traffic. City leaders are now moving forward with discussions that could change how drivers enter and exit businesses along that stretch of U.S. Highway 78.

At its Sept. 10 meeting, the Loganville City Council voted 5–1 to formally pursue discussions with the Georgia Department of Transportation about safety improvements between Logan Drive and C.S. Floyd Road, according to reporting by Jim Thompson of The Walton Tribune, published by Monroe Local.

The vote advances the planning process. It does not establish a final road design or a construction start date.

The stretch under consideration serves restaurants, grocery stores and other retailers. Council discussions focused on reducing the risks associated with left turns across multiple lanes while improving access to those businesses.

Among the possibilities are a raised concrete median, designated left-turn lanes and a new traffic signal at the shopping center anchored by Publix. Changes to shopping-center parking lots and connections between businesses could help direct drivers toward the proposed signal, giving them a controlled location to turn left.

Councilman Bill DuVall, who chairs the council’s Transportation and Public Utilities committees, urged the city to keep the project moving. He said the corridor is already on GDOT’s list of potential projects, but continued inaction could put its place on that list at risk.

One possible arrangement would have Loganville pay for preliminary engineering work, with the state potentially funding construction. That approach remains a possibility rather than a confirmed funding commitment. DuVall also noted that GDOT had recommended a raised median during a 2019 review of the corridor.

The discussion highlighted a central challenge: reducing dangerous turning movements while preserving access for emergency vehicles.

Police Chief Dick Lowry supported efforts to limit left turns out of businesses, saying fewer of those movements would help reduce crashes. He acknowledged that a raised median could affect emergency response routes, while emphasizing that responders would still reach people needing help.

Councilman Wes Johnson, a captain with Walton County Fire and Rescue, cast the dissenting vote. His concerns included the effect a median and another traffic signal could have on emergency traffic. He also pointed to residential growth in Gwinnett County as a source of additional vehicles on an already busy highway.

Councilwoman Melanie Long questioned how much control Loganville would retain over the eventual design. DuVall said cooperation with GDOT would require a memorandum of understanding between the city and the state agency.

For residents and business owners, the decision marks an early step in a process that could eventually reshape access along the corridor. Details about turning locations, parking-lot connections and emergency access still need to be worked through.

Changes will not happen immediately. DuVall cautioned that construction could take as long as two years to begin once a project proposal is in place.