The on again, off again nature of the interchange reconstruction project at Interstate 85 and Ga. Highway 74 in Fairburn looks like it’s back on again.
An Aug. 28 letter to Fairburn Mayor Elizabeth Carr-Hurst from Ga. Department of Transportation (DOT) Planning Director Jay Roberts, and copied to Fayette’s cities and the county, said, “This letter serves as notification that the department has allocated additional federal funding to completely accommodate the right-of-way (ROW) funding shortfall as requested by the 74 Gateway Coalition.”
Roberts said the funding will be split-phased between FY 2019 and FY 2020, with ROW funding of $16,693,863 shifted from FY 2018 to FY 2019. DOT has programmed funding of $13,666,137 in FY 2020 to accommodate the ROW shortfall, said Roberts.
DOT’s construction funding commitment totaling $32,770,250 and utilities funding commitment totaling $873,936 are currently programmed for FY 2021, Roberts said.
Roberts said DOT is coordinating with the Atlanta Regional Commission to shift $7 million in federal funding to FY 2021 due to the significant ROW cost increase for the project.
Roberts noted in the letter that if the project amount exceeds the new funding amounts listed it would be the responsibility of the project partners to provide that additional funding.
Fayette County Commission Chairman Eric Maxwell said those partners include entities in Fulton County, not in Fayette.
