Agencies prep roads, motorists for heavy traffic

A sign along Washington Road advises Masters patrons to find another place to park Monday morning because the lots at Augusta National are full.File

By Mark Mathis
Staff Writer

When it comes to driving around the Augusta National during Masters Week, heavy traffic is a given.

But there are ways to avoid some of the heaviest traffic.

Roads that are popular parking spots near the Augusta National - Eisenhower and Heath drives and Berckmans Road - will be heavily congested during the mornings and evenings of play.

Masters attendees coming from Interstate 20 are advised to take Riverwatch Parkway to 15th Street and use John C. Calhoun Expressway to get to the Augusta National, said Chief Deputy Ronald Strength of the Richmond CountySheriff's Department.

``The route's longer, but it's quicker,'' he said.

The sheriff's department will deploy eight to 10 extra patrol cars and six motorcycle units to the area to direct traffic, Strength said.

The stretch of Washington Road between I-20 and Calhoun Expressway will be the primary road used by motorists during the week, said Jim Huffstetler, Richmond County traffic engineer.

Masters traffic backs up along Berkman Road Wednesday, April 8, 1998 as spectators try to enter and find parking near the course.File

As in past years, the Georgia Department of Transportation plans to close the I-20 ramps onto Washington Road if they become backed up too far down the highway and become a safety concern, he said. Traffic would be rerouted onto Riverwatch Parkway if the Washington Road exits were closed.

The DOT will provide its support for Masters Week with the Navigator system today through Sunday.

The system will deploy changeable message signs that will give updates on traffic.

Cameras at key intersections and a helicopter fitted with a camera will send video feeds to a temporary traffic command center where officials will make traffic adjustments.

Highway Emergency Response Operators also will patrol the interstate to assist disabled vehicles.

While ``fender benders'' do increase Masters Week, Strength said, there have been been no major problems with traffic safety in past years.

``You've got the same people coming to Masters who have been coming for years, so they know where to park and how to get there,'' he said.

But the traffic engineer's office and sheriff's department both will keep a close eye on the traffic situation and make adjustments where needed, Huffstetler said.