Peachtree City

Mayor Steve Brown is beginning to build opposition among south metro Atlanta

cities against the state's plans to spend $2.4 billion building the Northern

Arc, a east-west highway connecting four north metro Atlanta counties.

Brown worries

that the state's plans to build the Northern Arc will hijack road and

highway funds that can be used for projects on the southside. So he is

seeking support for a movement against the Arc from other southside governments.

"We've

got to voice our opinion now or forever hold our peace for the next 20

years," Brown said, alleging that the Northern Arc project would

siphon off federal transportation funds for that length of time.

If that's true,

it would stall projects like the widening of Ga. Highway 74 South in Peachtree

City to four lanes, which was promised to several local industries when

they located here, Brown noted.

Each south

metro county has a similar project that's necessary to improve road infrastructure,

Brown said. He added that the infrastructure is important for economic

development purposes also.

"They're

stuffing the money up in the northern counties and down here in the south,

we're starving," Brown said. "It's an issue of fairness. The

Northern Arc is nothing more than a developmental highway. It has nothing

to do with air quality or traffic relief."

Brown said

he has gained support from all the municipalities in Henry County, and

the city councils in Fairburn and Hapeville have approved resolutions

opposing the Northern Arc.

In a letter

to a task force opposing the Northern Arc project, Brown says the money

for that project could be better spent in acquiring rights-of-way on the

southside "to avoid the painful mistakes that fell upon the north

metro counties."