The Braselton Town Council has begun plans to turn a closed portion of Friendship Road into a private road with the hopes of easing congestion at a five-way intersection.

With a new mayor and councilwoman on board, the council voted Monday to deed the road to Hawgshead Development Corp., which will make improvements and create access for property owners along the road. Council members hope the action will relieve traffic at Duncan Corners, a busy intersection in the South Hall portion of the town.

“It will then become a private road with access to the properties,” said Town Manager Jennifer Dees.

“That’s the way we’re getting that five-way intersection made into a four-way intersection so it can be signalized.”

The Georgia Department of Transportation recently rerouted a portion of Ga. 347/Friendship Road to intersect Spout Springs Road just north of the Duncan Corners intersection via a short, four-lane route. This stretch of road was built several years ago by Bud Chandler of Chateau Corners Development.

Eventually, the road will serve as part of a new four-lane realignment of Ga. 347/Friendship Road between McEver Road in Buford to Ga. 211/Old Winder Highway in Gwinnett County — a two-phase project estimated to cost $127.3 million.

Braselton, the DOT and two private developers, Chateau Corners Development Corp. and Spout Springs Partners, are working on plans to install new turn lanes and traffic signals at Spout Springs and Thompson Mill and at Ga. 347 and Spout Springs.

Also on Monday, Bill Orr was sworn in as the town’s new mayor, and Peggy Slappey as the new District 2 councilwoman during a ceremony before the work session. Councilman Dudley Ray also was reappointed to his District 4 seat.

Staff writer Jeff Gill contributed to this report