Road to feature two accesses to Hwy. 74
Residents hoping for traffic relief on MacDuff Parkway learned that there will now be two points that cars can get on Ga. Highway 74. Senior planner David Rast explained that there will be a railroad bridge over the CSX tracks about 1,000 ft. from Senoia Road. He also added there will be an at-grade crossing at Senoia Road.
The road extension will be a welcome sight for residents in Wilksmoor Village, who currently only have one way in and out of their homes every day: Ga. Highway 54 West.
Hwy. 54 gets so clogged in the evening commute times that traffic can back up nearly two miles to the east, all the way to Willowbend Road and City Hall. The city has ordered a traffic study of the entire corridor in search of solutions to help move traffic more efficiently, and that study will take into account future commercial development on the highway along with the John Wieland Homes subdivision, Everton.
But the question still remains, when will the road be finished? Earlier this summer, it was announced that construction would start and the road will be finished in 18 months.
Wieland and Brent Scarborough, or the developer who would develop Scarbrough’s property, are to jointly build the road extension. The extension has been desired a long time by residents of Wilksmoor Village.
Wieland has started building his portion of the extension, but Brian Rochester, who is assisting in trying to get Kolter Homes to develop Scarbrough’s property, could not guarantee the timeline unveiled earlier this year.
Rochester explained there were two factors the developer cannot control.
“We don’t know when CSX is going to release a permit for building. I believe they have had the permit in house for 2 1/2 years,” he said.
The other factor is that there is a small tract of property owned by the city near Senoia Road that could be the subject of upcoming litigation.
Councilman Eric Imker said he’s not sure the road won’t be finished until 2016 or 2017.
“It should have been finished by October (2015). I told the council they got snookered,” he added.
The issue could come up for further discussion Thursday night (Sept. 4) at the Peachtree City Council since Kolter homes is seeking modification to the zoning text amendments to move their development further along the approval process.
— By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizen.com
