Both phases of the East Fayetteville Bypass and the widening of several state highways through Fayette County are some of the many projects initially pitched for potential funding through a 10-year regional transportation sales tax.
Those projects, and more, have been submitted by both Fayette County and other counties in the 10-county metro Atlanta region. They will first be vetted by the Georgia Department of Transportation, and the final say on funding rests with the 21-member Regional Transportation Roundtable, on which Fayette has two representatives: County Commission Chairman Herb Frady and Fayetteville Mayor Ken Steele.
Among the highway widening projects on the list for potential regional funding are:
• Ga. Highway 54 east of Fayetteville from two to four lanes from McDonough Road eastward to U.S. Highway 19/41 (Tara Boulevard) in Jonesboro. The project would replace bridges over the Flint River and Camp Creek, along with adding bike lanes and sidewalks to that section of the road.
• Ga. Highway 85 south of Fayetteville from two to four lanes from Bernhard Road to Grady Avenue. The submittal form notes that traffic on Hwy. 85 becomes congested between Ramah Road and Grady Avenue.
• Ga. Highway 92 south of Fayetteville from two to four lanes from Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard to McBride Road. The submittal notes that this part of Hwy. 92 has “heavy delays” during morning and afternoon commuting times due to traffic volumes and a large number of subdivision and side street entrances.
• Ga. Highway 279 north of Fayetteville from two to four lanes between Hwys. 92 and 138.
Also on tap are “operational improvements” instead of road widening for Hwy. 85 south from Bernhard Road to Ga. Highway 74 south.
In Peachtree City, officials are looking for intersection improvements to Ga. Highway 54 and Commerce Drive, along with a cart path to connect the new Flat Creek bridge with the southern end of the industrial park and also the city’s baseball and soccer complex. A tunnel to serve such a path is being built underneath Hwy. 74 as part of the road-widening project.
The city has also proposed a path that would go north from the Flat Creek bridge to connect with the Braelinn Village shopping center on Crosstown Drive.
Another path project on the list is the “gateway” bridge over Hwy. 54 West that would connect the southern end of MacDuff Parkway with the Shoppes at the Village Piazza shopping center, and also the Line Creek Nature Area.
The city is also looking for intersection improvements on Peachtree Parkway to improve the level of service, mitigate accidents and add bike and pedestrian improvements where needed.
Other intersection work on the list is for Robinson Road where it intersects with Ga. Highway 54, Crosstown Drive and Redwine Road.
Local officials are also seeking funding for the realignment of Hood Avenue and Ga. Highway 92, a project for which the Fayette County Commission recently voted to build using local SPLOST funds from the 2003 Fayette County Transportation Sales Tax.
In Tyrone, officials want funding to widen and resurface Castlewood Road which connects Fayette and Coweta Counties.
Tyrone is also eyeing a 6.2 mile multi-use path along Tyrone Road between Hwy. 54 and Senoia Road.
Other projects of note affecting Fayette County:
• Widening McDonough Road to four lanes, adding sidewalks and bike lanes and replacing the bridge over the Flint River. A recent evaluation of the bridge “indicated a serious decline in the structural integrity of the bridge requiring weight limit posting and maintenance/repairs.”
• The widening of Ga. Highway 85 in Clayton County from four to six lanes from Ga. Highway 279 in Fayette County to Roberts Drive.
