Extending TDK

Boulevard into Coweta County in the future would divert an estimated 1,600

vehicles a day from traveling into Peachtree City on Ga. Highway 54 West,

officials estimate.

According to

traffic forecasts, that would reduce traffic on Hwy. 54 in Peachtree City

by 20 percent.

But the extension,

which would include a bridge to cross Line Creek, also calls for four-foot-wide

bicycle lanes on either side of the road to allow for alternative forms

of transportation also.

Plans call

for the 2.46-mile road to connect TDK Boulevard to McIntosh Trail in Coweta

County. The bike path would likely be most utilized by residents in that

area, since the Peachtree City portion of the project begins in the industrial

park.

McIntosh Trail

is currently a collector roadway that, along with Stallings Road, provides

a secondary route between Sharpsburg and Senoia.

Transportation

officials predict that traffic volume on Hwy. 54 West in Peachtree City

will swell to 8,000 vehicles per day by the time the new roadway is opened.

No timeline for construction has been set.

The success

of diverting traffic from Coweta County to the industrial park will largely

depend on signage to alert drivers that the road will provide a shortcut

to the park, and it will also depend on the amount of congestion on Hwy.

54, officials believe.

The new two-lane

roadway will have 12-foot lanes for automobiles in addition to the lanes

reserved for bicycles. The proposed right-of-way for Peachtree City will

be set at 80 feet and the right-of-way in Coweta County will be set at

100 feet.

The speed limit

on the Coweta side will be 45 mph while the Peachtree City portion will

be rated at 30 mph.

The project

is a joint venture between Peachtree City and Coweta County. Once completed,

it is expected to provide an alternative route to the industrial park

for numerous workers there who actually reside in Coweta County and Newnan.