Sidewalk projects are underway along Ga. Highway 54 on the east and west sides of Fayetteville. With a project completion expected in the next four months, the bulk of the project that will install nearly 9,000 feet of sidewalk comes from a federal transportation grant.
Fayetteville Director of Public Services Chris Hindman said the purpose of the sidewalk project is to address environmental and congestion mitigation concerns by providing an alternative to automobile travel.
“The project fills in gaps in our sidewalk network on the east and west side of the city on Hwy. 54. There will be approximately 8,700 linear feet of new sidewalks being constructed,” Hindman said, adding that the sidewalks will improve safety and handicap access by providing ADA-compliant curb ramps and foot traffic sidewalks.
Hindman said sidewalk construction on the south side of Hwy. 54 began on the city’s west side at Burch Road and will continue to the city cemetery near downtown. The east side portion of the project will begin at Gwinnett Street and continue to Robinson Drive with the sidewalks located on the northern portion of Hwy. 54, Hindman said.
The sidewalk on the east side will be 8 feet wide and will accommodate golf carts, while the west side sidewalk will be 5 feet in width and will not permit golf carts.
The reason for the more narrow width on the west side of the city is because the master plan calls for installing a path system on the opposite side of the road on the north side of Hwy. 54 once funding is available. That path will accommodate golf carts, Hindman said.
Weather permitting, construction will take approximately four months.
The project cost is approximately $367,000 and will be paid from a federal grant through the SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users) program.
“This was an 80 percent grant amount for the project. The city has met the 20 percent match through the planning and design phase of the project thus all of the construction cost will be paid by the grant,” said Hindman.
The city’s portion of the project comes from past SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) funds, Hindman said.
“The city is proud to be able to provide more pedestrian friendly options for our residents to use to help mitigate rising fuel costs while helping the environment and helping to reduce traffic congestion,” said Hindman.
