Walmart opening given the green light

While the new Walmart near Grovetown isn't scheduled to open until October, a traffic signal near the development has been activated.

//

The traffic signal -- at Horizon South Parkway and Gateway Boulevard near Grove- town -- became operational Tuesday.

The newest Walmart in Columbia County -- the county's third -- will open Oct. 28, store manager Dale Wooten said.

The store will open at 8 a.m. after a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce at 7:30 a.m.

Work on the 156,000-square-foot store started in August 2008, and it was initially planned to open in mid-September.

Although the Walmart will not have a tire and lube center, Wooten said it will have all the amenities of a Supercenter, including a full-service grocery department.

"It's just a one-stop shop," he said. "You can get everything you need in a Walmart store now."

Once the store opens, Wooten said, it will operate with 288 employees and will be open 24 hours a day.

He said the location is convenient for motorists and area residents alike.

"It's quick and accessible via (Interstate 20)," Wooten said. "It's pretty much on everybody's way home. I think it's going to work out really well."