An unfinished cart path and tunnel linkage under MacDuff Parkway is going to be funded by the city.
Better yet, the money is coming from funds left over from the recently completed path connections for the path bridge spanning the CSX railroad tracks on Ga. Highway 54 West. The city has earmarked that $146,000 in funding and Ravin Homes, developer of Cedarcroft, is also kicking in $10,000, city officials said.
The path links, which will extend from either side of the tunnel to the shops along Ga. HIghway 54 West, will give carts and pedestrians another route to the shopping center instead of the existing cart path that travels through Ravin Homes’ Cedarcroft subdivision.
The Cedarcroft path has been a sore spot for residents who live alongside it. They claim Ravin built the path too close to their homes, and some residents have complained about loud noise, litter and other problems due to other users of the path.
While using the MacDuff tunnel will be a longer route for carts using the bridge over Ga. Highway 74 to the northeast of Cedarcroft, it will provide an option to relieve traffic in Cedarcroft, said Mayor Don Haddix.
“We have people selling their homes because of the traffic there,” Haddix said.
The project should proceed quickly because no approvals are needed from the Georgia Department of Transportation, noted Community Development Director David Rast.
“Hopefully we’ll have it under construction in the near future,” Rast said.
In other path developments, the city has also been granted a permanent cart path easement and temporary construction easement by the U.S. Postal Service. This will allow the new tunnel under Ga. Highway 74 at Paschall Road to be linked northward to the post office and eventually The Avenue shopping center.
