Calendar year 2019 saw continued growth in West Point. 

Highlights included the announcement of two new truck stops off I-85, visible progress on the redevelopment of the Tenth Street corridor, business activity in the downtown section and the tenth anniversary of Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia.

There’s a whole lot going on in West Point for a town of only around 3,500 people. 

“For a town our size, we have more going on than any similar-sized city in the Southeast if not the U.S,” said Mayor Steve Tramell. “And, we have tremendous potential for continued growth. It’s not going to stop anytime soon.”

Located off Kia Boulevard just off Exit 6 on I-85, the Circle K Truck Stop is well under development and should be open by March 2020. A Love’s Truck Stop is planned for Exit 2 but will likely take a couple of years to come to fruition. Development is being held up by the Georgia Department of Transportation putting in three roundabouts on Georgia Highway 18, two of them at Exit 2 and another at the junction of Highways 18 and 103.

Tramell said there’s a learning curve involved in motorists getting used to roundabouts but once they do it will be much safer for them. 

“Roundabouts have been shown to greatly reduce highway fatalities,” he said. “You won’t get T-boned at them. At worst, you can get clipped on the corner.”

Plans are for the new roundabouts to be going in in 2021. Love’s construction will be taking place at the same time. Enrollment is also continuing to grow at Point University. That’s helpful to the city, particularly for the downtown district.