CHATSWORTH — Did the squeaky wheel get the grease?
Murray County Sole Commissioner David Ridley seems to think so. On his fourth attempt to persuade the state Department of Transportation to move forward on the Springplace Bypass project, he got an agreement.
“Murray County taxpayers won’t have to pay another dime,” Ridley said, referring to $1.5 million the county has forked over in 15 years’ time to keep environmental and engineering studies up to date. “This has been something that has bothered me ever since I became commissioner — the county continuing to pay that $70,000 to $80,000 a year on environmental studies. Now it looks like it will take place in the next 18 months.”
But the project to relieve traffic congestion at the Highway 52 Alternate and Highway 225 intersection has been scaled back — from a four-lane connector to a two-lane thoroughfare — between Ga. Highway 225 south of Springplace to U.S. Highway 76 west of Central.
A DOT official said the physical environment of the roadbed and financial considerations figured into the downgrade.
“From an environmental standpoint, we had to make a decision to go from four lanes to two,” said DOT planning director Todd Long. “We also had to go back and reassess funding. We’d been asked to pick up the cost for the studies, and we came to a gentleman’s agreement on that. The traffic numbers dictated it would be fine to do that.”
Long was less specific than Ridley’s timetable.
“The funding for it is still up in the air,” Long said. “We’re waiting for a funding bill that’s in Congress, and the state legislature is also looking at a regional SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax) bill. The construction is not currently scheduled.”
Ridley was asked what the county will do with the money that has now been freed up.
“Those fees have been paid through SPLOST funds, so now we can apply them to road repair,” he replied. “The DOT is going to help us with some LARP (Local Assistance Road Program) funds in the spring and summer of 2010 and the spring and summer of 2011. This winter has taken a heavy toll on our roads, and we’re going to address that.”
Murray County
March 15, 2010
Springplace bypass gets green light
Ridley: Taxpayers no longer on hook for project fees
- Murray County
-
-
‘Nature Explore’ class starts Friday
Keep Chatsworth-Murray Beautiful will host summer classes at the Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom in downtown Chatsworth on June 1, June 29 and July 27, from 9 a.m. until noon.
Continued ... - Murray memorializes more than a century of war dead
- Mountain Creek on ‘alert schools’ list
- German man discovers ring belonging to Murray County pilot at WW II crash site
- Picked for television
- Fiancee: More to sodomy charge
- May 17, 2012
- Murray arts council forming
- May 16, 2012
- Hooper eyes chief magistrate post
- May 11, 2012
- Pannell to take senior status
- May 10, 2012
- Relative: Suspect thought kidnapped girls were his
- Apr 22, 2012
- Murray senior prank punishment draws frowns
- Historical Society recognizes student preservationists
- Apr 21, 2012
- 'Guys and Dolls' at North Murray
- Crandall man charged with sexual exploitation
- Apr 20, 2012
- Murray teachers on furlough today
-
‘Nature Explore’ class starts Friday
Police: Gunman Kills 5, Self in Seattle
Spelling Bee's Youngest Ever Doesn't Advance
Police: Seattle Cafe Gunman May Have Shot Self
No Limits for Disabled Hunters at Mich. Base
Victim Identified in Fla. Face-chewing Attack
Radioactive Bluefin Tuna Crossed the Pacific
90 Guns Seized, Dozens Arrested in Oakland
Raw Video: Hail Storm Batters Oklahoma City
6-Year-Old Going to National Spelling Bee
California's Foie Gras Ban About to Begin
Video Essay: Funky Winkerbean Comic Turns 40
Hurricane Andrew Remembered, 20 Years Later
Judge's Ruling Halts Tenn. Mosque Construction
Romney in Las Vegas on Texas Primary Day
Sister Says She Reported Brother in Patz Killing
Even Fla. Police Shocked by Face-Mauling Attack
Angry Birds Spreading Their Wings
