Peachtree City officials have

compiled a prioritized list of road improvement projects for the areas

near the intersection of Ga. highways 54 and 74.

The projects, totalling $1.17

million, are expected to be discussed again at Thursday night's City Council

meeting. According to a memo from City Engineer Troy Besseche, the first

five projects are short-term while the remaining two are longer-term solutions.

Three of the five short-term

projects are slated to be built by RAM Development so its proposed Wal-Mart/Home

Depot shopping center complex can meet the city's traffic ordinance. If

the city funds those projects before RAM can build them, the company has

pledged to reimburse the city for its cost.

Two of the short-term projects,

totalling $157,000, are not on that list. All five projects added together

have an estimated cost of $432,000.

The top-listed project is the

addition of a 250-foot right turn lane off Hwy. 54 East onto Huddleston

Drive, tabbed at $85,000. The theory is that would allow traffic headed

into the industrial park to use Huddleston as a route there, bypassing

the 54-74 interchange, which becomes clogged during rush hour.

The second project would add

a right turn lane to Huddleston at that intersection for traffic heading

eastbound on Hwy. 54. The $187,000 project would make the signal switch

time for Huddleston shorter, officials believe.

The third project would extend

the left turn lane for southbound traffic on Hwy. 74 so more vehicles

can turn onto Hwy. 54 heading east. That would cost an estimated $40,000.

The fourth-priority project would install an additional right turn lane

for southbound traffic on Hwy. 74 so more vehicles can turn onto Hwy.

54 heading west; the estimated cost is $150,000.

The fifth-priority project

is the addition of a second left turn lane for northbound motorists on

Hwy. 74 so they can head west on Hwy. 54. That project is expected to

cost $55,000.

The two long-term projects,

ranked as the sixth and seventh priorities, are the realignment of the

intersection of Huddleston Drive and Dividend Drive ($175,000) and work

on Hwy. 54 West to add the through lane along with right and left turn

lanes for westbound traffic. The work on Hwy. 54 West, tabbed at $570,000,

is another project that RAM is responsible for funding.

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