More Thoughts on 74-54 Intersection and the TDK Boulevard Extension and Annexation

At the April 2 Peachtree City Council meeting, I made public comments about how there are irresponsible claims from a political candidate about annexing a data center into Peachtree City because of five very large, and when-combined, impossible hurdles to overcome, and I specifically mentioned that the extension of TDK Boulevard into Coweta County has been a political non-starter for two decades.

A member of the community nicely told me I’m inconsistent or hypocritical (my words) given my Citizen editorial on February 4, 2026. It seems at least one resident of Peachtree City, and possibly more, thinks I have a role in a scheme to shift the Overton Window and make the TDK extension palatable due to my written thoughts on annexation being used to improve 74-54.

My earlier analysis was very much a pie-in-the-sky idealized scenario that will never happen in the current environment- the reality is Coweta and Fayette residents want east-west connectivity and solutions to 74-54, but nobody wants to be inconvenienced by what that means.

The Citizen‘s Editor Ellie White-Stevens called my earlier editorial “a little crazy.” I find it interesting that through April 14, 2026, it only had two comments with none about TDK Boulevard- if it’s that big of a deal, I should have seen some pushback.

I wrote the editorial pondering the November, 2025 election. 74-54 gets used as a political issue and then is promptly forgotten until the next election. Drivers are frustrated, and it is always a top community issue. Due to lack of any ideas or discussion, I put out mine.

I’m all ears for better ideas because it’s clear the status quo isn’t working for a lot of people.

But let me be frank: the TDK Boulevard extension into Coweta County is dead on arrival.

Let’s look at some data including comprehensive plans from the Coweta side.

The 2020 GDOT SR 54 Reliever Feasibility Study estimated opening TDK would reduce traffic on 54 by 11%, hardly a ringing endorsement for opening TDK, but the study is six years old and needs updating. I don’t think it will change much.

Coweta County’s 2014 Joint Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update was the last to mention Vernon Hunter Pkwy as a connector from McIntosh Trail in Coweta to the TDK Boulevard extension. It was listed as a mid-range project, putting completion sometime between 2021 and 2030. Given the unpopularity in Peachtree City, I’m surprised they held out so long considering it.

Coweta County’s 2021 Comprehensive Transportation Plan Recommendations Report mentions east-west connectivity, but the only identified operation project to accomplish this was SR34/SR54 from Fischer Road to the Fayette County line as a long-term project (2040-2050 completion) that included no cost estimate. All other projects have costs assigned.

At the very end of 2021 Plan on p. 84 of p. 85 is a study recommendation to “Coordinate with ARC, GDOT, Fayette County, and Peachtree City to scope and identify funding for an east-west mobility and connectivity study between Coweta County and Fayette County. Congestion on several roadways providing connectivity across the Coweta County and Fayette County line limits mobility, degrades reliability and travel times, and presents safety challenges. This is particularly seen on the SR 54/SR 34 corridor. 

Current travel flows and demand indicates a significant proportion of the peak period trips leaving and entering Coweta County are destined and originate in Fayette County, particularly the Peachtree City area. A cooperative study is needed to comprehensively examine existing and future conditions and challenges to identify potential solutions such as improvements to existing corridors as well as potential new connection points between the counties. The feasibility and potential impact of potential solutions will also be examined to identify a recommended and prioritized set of infrastructure improvements, strategies, policies, and partnerships. It is recommended that ARC help to lead this study on behalf of the jurisdictions and that GDOT be included as a key stakeholder.”

The two key points are Coweta County is punting to the Atlanta Regional Commission and GDOT, and that peak period trips leaving and entering Coweta are destined and originate in Peachtree City. If we in Peachtree City are concerned about Coweta traffic flooding our infrastructure, wouldn’t Coweta residents be concerned about the opposite?

The TDK extension would allow anyone living south of Crosstown to avoid 74-54 and travel mostly in Coweta County to shop at Sam’s Club, Costco, and all the restaurants and medical facilities in that area. It would not be a trivial amount of traffic. We worry about potential development in Coweta flooding our infrastructure. Coweta residents may see an already developed Peachtree City flooding theirs.

The March, 2026 draft version of Charting Coweta’s Future (2026-2046) on p. 57 shows only 10% of Coweta residents are interested in a “Connector to Fayette County” as part of new roads or new connectivity, and p. 58 shows a budget of $45,000 to look at a connectivity study targeted for 2027-2028. Again, we’re going to simply study the problem.

Remember, though, traffic is still coming from Coweta, and with ongoing residential development that Peachtree City does not control, it is continually increasing. Their one door to Peachtree City is 74-54.

The lack of TDK extension sets up winners and losers in Peachtree City, too. Braelinn Village residents don’t want TDK opened because of east-west through-traffic on Crosstown Drive that would pass in front of Oak Grove Elementary school. In essence, though, they are fine with residents of the Wilksmoor, Glenloch, and Aberdeen Villages dealing with the continually increasng 74-54 traffic.

To be fair, Crosstown Drive is not an arterial state road, but we have plenty of collector roads like Crosstown that serve through-traffic that also have or had schools on them. Peachtree Parkway, Kelly Drive/McIntosh Trail, Kedron Drive, and Robinson Road are just a few.

The residents of the Planterra subdivision also lose in the equation as frustrated drivers seek any alternate route around the 74-54 intersection such that they erected a gate that only they can use- again, creating more Peachtree City residents that lose out on city-wide connectivity.

I’ll admit it- I avoided 74-54 and cut through Planterra to avoid 74-54 but always being mindful of the speed limit and because I have friends that live there. But not anymore.

In the end, the evidence from Coweta County’s own planning documents makes one point clear: a TDK Boulevard extension is not on their agenda, and it is unlikely to be pursued in the foreseeable future. Yet the pressures on 74‑54 will continue to grow as Coweta’s development continues and Peachtree City remains the primary destination for many of those trips.

With only one east‑west corridor, every neighborhood in our city feels the effects differently. Some areas benefit from keeping TDK closed, while others shoulder the daily burden of congestion. These trade‑offs are real, and they will only become more pronounced over time.

If TDK is not a viable option, and all current indicators suggest it is not, then our community needs to focus its energy on identifying alternatives. The status quo is not serving residents well, and thoughtful, collaborative discussion is the only way we will find solutions that balance mobility, safety, and quality of life for everyone in Peachtree City.