The East Fayetteville Bypass was officially resurrected as a viable project by unanimous vote of the Fayette County Commission last week.
The $39.4 million project would construct a road that would begin north of Fayetteville at Hwy. 85, but end well short of either Ga. Highway 92 or Ga. Highway 85 south of Fayetteville.
Instead, the southern section of the road is proposed to end at the intersection of County Line Road, south Jeff Davis Road and Inman Road. The northern terminus would be at Hwy. 85 and Corinth Road. The road also will intersect with Ga. Highway 54 east of Fayetteville.
Because of its location, one resident criticized the plan as a road that would only benefit residents of Clayton County.
The bypass had been put on the backburner because of concerns that there would not be sufficient state and federal funds to complete it. However, those concerns have fallen by the wayside, as county staff is anticipating that $21.1 million in state and federal funds will be available.
That would leave the remaining $18.3 million to come from the county’s 2003 transportation sales tax revenues.
Although the road path for the East Fayetteville Bypass will be two lanes in many sections, the county will buy enough right of way to upgrade the road to four lanes if such is needed in the future, explained county Public Works Director Phil Mallon.
There will also be sections of the bypass that will have three lanes, particularly at intersections and also along areas of road where there are multiple existing access points for motorists getting onto the road, Mallon explained.
The county approved the funding and a preliminary route for the road, but a final version of the route will be prepared by staff and submitted for a commission vote at a later date.
The project will be complex in part because part of the road lies within Clayton County. Now that the commission has approved the funding and preliminary alignment, staff will meet with officials in Clayton to establish a working relationship on the project.
County officials have said that in the past Clayton County representatives signed off on the project.
The proposal from county staff has the bypass starting at Hwy. 85 and Corinth Road, following the length of Corinth Road to Ga. Highway 54. From Hwy. 54 a new section of road will be built to reach a new intersection at McDonough Road. From there the road will follow the path of the existing County Line Road to the intersection of County Line, south Jeff Davis and Inman roads.
