After two years of nagging county officials and Commissioner Bill Brown, residents of three South DeKalb communities are getting out of their subdivisions at the turn of a light.

Last month, the county installed two sets of traffic lights at both intersections of Lehigh Boulevard and Flakes Mill Road.

"It's a long time in coming, but we are real happy to have them," said Donald Murray, external relations chair for the Brook Glen Homeowners Association, who spearheaded the push for the lights for Brook Glen residents.

With the new traffic lights, nearly 2,000 residents of Brook Glen, Platina Park and Chapel Hill communities can get in and out of the subdivisions more easily during morning and evening rush hours.

Before the lights were installed, Murray said motorists had to wait a "good five minutes" during rush hours to make left turns onto Flakes Mill Road.

"This is really essential for regulating the traffic flow and relieving congestion," Murray said.

Carl Glover, the county's director of roads and drainage, said the $75,000 project included resurfacing the roadway and widening a small portion leading up to both sets of lights.

Glover said studies indicated that more than 1,500 vehicles passed through both intersections during peak hours.

He said his department had to await the release of funds to do the project. It was funded by HOST funds.