People living, working near S.R. 21 want traffic relief as GDOT hosts open house next month

PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. (WTOC) - People living and working along State Route 21 said a change is needed but shared concerns about another construction project, as the Georgia Department of Transportation looks at expanding it from four to six lanes.

The project would expand S.R. 21 for about five miles from four to six lanes, starting south of S.R. 30 and ending north of McCall Road.

The estimated cost is $123.9 million as of October 26, 2026.

Georgia DOT’s report showed the project would include a 24-foot median, which could be concrete or grass, improved sidewalks and crosswalks, and more in the busy corridor.

Business owner describes daily delays

Rich Mohabir, owner of Dog Stars Pet Grooming, said the traffic problems are consistent in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings.

“It’s a job. It’s working to then get to work,” Mohabir said.

Mohabir has owned the shop for almost a year. He said his customers consistently get stuck in traffic, forcing him and his employees to stay late to care for dogs waiting to go home.

“At three o’clock and after, they’re always like, ‘hey, I’m stuck in traffic, I’m going to be late,’ so yeah, every single time, every single day,” Mohabir said.

“At that point, it’s our responsibility to take the dogs out, let them use the bathroom, this way, they’re not using it here,” said Crystal Nicholas. “That’s a really tough time, even just getting here for their appointments sometimes is hard.”

They hope that extended lanes could help grow their business, which can be found at 2 Magnolia Boulevard, Suite A.

“As far as business goes, I mean, more visibility towards what I’m establishing here,” Mohabir said. “Better for my employees, best for the dogs, I think it’s great for business.”

They also asked for more street lights throughout the major corridor.

“An extra set of lanes, extra street lights, that would be great for our journey,” Mohabir said, who lives in Sylvania, GA.

Stacee Adee, who used to work along the highway, said the changes could have mixed reactions from anyone at this time.

“Growth can be good, growth can be not so fun. It just depends on who you’re talking to,” Adee said.

Adee said improved infrastructure could encourage more pedestrians to explore safely around the shops that line the highway in this project’s scope.

“I would love to see more walkers. I feel like if it looked and seemed more safe, we might get more walkers,” she said.

Nicholas added, “Not a lot of people have cars, and they take their scooters to work, and there’s a lot of business up on [State Route] 30 and [State Route] 21, so maybe.”

How to weigh in

Georgia DOT’s open house is Thursday, November 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Macomber Park Building on Lexington Avenue in Rincon. Residents can also share their thoughts online.