Ellerslie's October, One US 27 Junction at a Time

"The people who were going to Ellerslie, who say that Pine Mountain is just too far away, now have some place to be."

Bobby Noland, co-owner of Luke's Pub & Steakhouse, said that to the Ledger-Enquirer in late August. He was explaining why the restaurant opened a Columbus location at 5828 Moon Road on Sept. 2. Luke's had to leave its original Ellerslie building because it needed major repairs. The owners reopened near Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain in May 2025, and some Ellerslie regulars told Noland that drive was too long.

In Ellerslie, how far away something feels has always depended on US 27. This October, that highway is in the middle of a rebuild. The work for drivers right now isn't on the main highway. It's on the side roads, where crews are closing one connection at a time and lowering the pavement to meet a wider US 27. That rolling schedule of closures shapes a month that also includes a pumpkin festival up the highway, a music festival in Waverly Hall, and an airport open house.

What the Crews Are Doing at Each Junction

The project widens US 27/SR 1, also called Martha Berry Highway, from Turnberry Lane in Muscogee County to SR 315 in Harris County. It was chosen by local officials as a TIA-funded project to improve safety and traffic flow on a corridor where both residential and commercial traffic keep growing.

A wider, regraded highway means the roads that meet it have to match. On West Bonacre Road, Harris County says crews will be "milling and lowering the level of the roadway surface" so the side road lines up with the plans for the widened US 27. WTVM reported the same kind of work on Pierce Chapel Road in September. Each junction gets its turn, so a route that works one week may need a detour the next.

The Pierce Chapel closure was scheduled to end about now, but weather can extend it. Check before counting on that connection this week. If the West Bonacre schedule holds, it should reopen in the last week of October. The county says warning signs will go up before the closure, and it is asking residents to share the alert with neighbors.

These closures will keep coming for a while. Harris County expects major construction to be finished in early summer 2027. GDOT's project overview calls for widening from Turnberry Lane to Raymond Drive, resurfacing from Raymond Drive to SR 315, and moving the SR 315 intersection to a new roundabout. That overview is the original design plan, not a current construction schedule.

The Closest Outing Is on Highway 85

When US 27 junctions are closing in turns, the outing that doesn't touch the construction is worth a lot. Ellerslie Park sits at 3280 GA Hwy 85 and is open every day from dawn to dusk. The Harris County Recreation Department lists 124 acres with walking trails around two lakes, a playground, a lakeside pavilion measuring 20 by 40 feet, a dock, catch-and-release fishing, and a renovated lodge with an accessible restroom. Lodge rentals are available daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for anyone planning a fall gathering.

The 75-foot observation tower has been open since an April 2024 ribbon cutting. Its 87 spiral stairs are free to climb during park hours. October, when the air cools and the trees start to change, is a good month for that climb.

This month there is also a standing Sunday event. The county recreation calendar lists October Yoga at the Ellerslie Park Lake Pavilion on Sunday mornings from 8 to 8:45. It's 45 minutes by the water and early enough to leave the rest of Sunday open.

Weekends Up and Around the Corridor

Most of the month's bigger events are a drive away, and each sits on a different stretch of the corridor. In date order:

1. Saturday, Oct. 10: WA-HA Music & Food Truck Festival, Waverly Hall. The free festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Historic Waverly Hall Village Green, with live music, artisan crafters, and kids' activities. A car show runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. In September, the Wheels of Fire benefit ride used the road connection between the two towns, riding from Waverly Hall to Ellerslie by way of Hwy. 315, Holland Road, and Hwy. 27.

2. Monday, Oct. 12: an extra night of Pumpkins at Callaway. Callaway Resort & Gardens added a 5 to 9 p.m. session on this Monday. It's also the day West Bonacre Road is set to close, so anyone who normally uses that junction to get onto US 27 should plan for the Winchester Drive detour.

3. Saturday, Oct. 24: Harris County Airport open house. The county calendar lists the event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 789 Skymeadow Drive in Pine Mountain. Plans include free airplane rides with a signed waiver, antique cars, inflatables, $85 helicopter rides, and an 11:30 a.m. groundbreaking for the terminal expansion.

Pumpkins at Callaway is the event that runs all month. It's open on select nights from Sept. 19 through Nov. 1. October hours are Thursdays and Sundays from 5 to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m. The entrance is at Robin Lake Beach, 17800 US Highway 27, Pine Mountain. New this year are Robin Bloom's Harvest Hall, a new corn maze design, a longer glowing pumpkin trail, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, dance parties, and candy stops for kids.

The airport open house and Callaway are both at Pine Mountain addresses, and Callaway's entrance is right on US 27. On Oct. 24, an airport visit during the day and the pumpkin trail that night make one trip up the highway instead of two.

Where Luke's Landed, and Why the Distance Mattered

Back to the quote at the top. Luke's Pine Mountain location has done well. Noland told the Ledger-Enquirer it draws people from LaGrange, Newnan, and Peachtree City. He also said 50% to 60% of Luke's customers come from Muscogee and Harris counties. So when Ellerslie regulars said Pine Mountain was too far, the owners responded with a second location.

He chose an open space in a shopping center at Moon Road and Miller Road, pointing to the heavy traffic on Moon Road and the many homes nearby. "I've never been in the city. I've always been in the county," he said, adding that he expected to see "a lot of my old faces." The Ledger-Enquirer published hours only for opening week: Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. Check current hours before planning dinner there.

The restaurant's story shows the same thing as the road work. For people in Ellerslie, the miles matter less than the route. A new location at the Moon Road and Miller Road intersection puts Luke's back within reach for the customers who missed it, and through next summer the side-road closures will keep changing how long the familiar trips take.

The West Bonacre closure starts a week from today. If you're weighing a move within the Columbus–Harris County area and wondering how the US 27 corridor will feel once the widening wraps up in 2027, I'm happy to talk it through. Lisa Raines has spent 17 years working along these roads. Let's Connect.