New middle school building sparks changes to strengthen safety on a dangerous highway. GDOT is currently conducting a report with a goal to extend the speed zone. Watch the story to hear how a local dad feels when it comes to keeping his children safe.BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:WTXL neighborhood reporter AJ Douglas heard from a dad, police and the school board speaking on a common goal to keep drivers safe."Ever since they opened the new school it's been backed up. The bus schedule has been bad [delayed], said Akeem Miller.Miller wears many titles. Friends know him as "Sep." Colleagues know him as a dedicated contractor.. But his little ones just call him dad.Miller said he notices changes to traffic which have impacted his children's school bus schedule while returning home."Usually the kids will be here around three or 3:30. Instead it's been 3:50 to four o'clock. I had to call the school because I didn't know what was going on, said Miller.City police are waiting for the Georgia Department of Transportation to conduct tests to expand existing speed zones to the middle school location."Slow traffic down for safety because there is a high volume of traffic this way in the mornings, said Chief Redell Walton, with Bainbridge Public Safety.Chief Walton said the high traffic area paired with the highway being frequented by younger drivers has resulted in major accidents this past year.A driver died in 2024."We had a fatality directly in front of the gates of Bainbridge High School. A car was at the traffic light and a semi just hit it from behind, said Walton.GDOT has approved the addition of a stop light directly in front of the middle school to increase safety and keep drivers alert.The Decatur County Board of Education released a statement,"We have communicated with local officials about extending the school speed zone. Bainbridge Public Safety is coordinating with the Department of Transportation and is waiting for their approval to extend the school zone."Miller agreed speed zones will help increase safety but says it could also create more backed up traffic."That will slow it down but at the same time that will push a lot of traffic back, said Miller.WTXL reached out to GDOT to get a time frame of when this community can expect their report to be completed. The department released a statement Thursday night: In July 2024, the District Traffic Operations Office completed a Traffic Engineering study recommending a new traffic control signal for the new Bainbridge Middle School. A temporary traffic signal was turned on Jan. 6, 2025, and the permanent traffic control signal will be installed. Our staff is conducting an Engineering and Traffic Investigation (ETI) (i.e., speed study) to extend the west school zone limits for the new middle school.Once the study is ready. Public safety will enforce the extension of speed zones.