At this pace,

it's anybody's bet which of two road projects bridging the Fayette-Coweta

county line will be the first to the finish.

In addition

to still more delays in the Ga. Highway 54 widening, extending TDK Boulevard

across Line Creek between Falcon Field and the Planterra Ridge neighborhood

has yet to be started.

The Peachtree

City Council agreed to fund engineering change orders on the TDK Extension

requested by Fayette County in early summer. An Aug. 1 deadline was set

for delivery of the plans to the county.

After an e-mail

circulated to the local media last week suggested Peachtree City was dragging

its feet again, the city's public information office issued a statement

saying the construction plans were forwarded to the county level for review

in early August, as promised.

"Peachtree

City City Engineer Troy Besseche received the plans on Aug. 1 for review,"

wrote Betsy Tyler, spokeswoman for the city. "Besseche said it took

a bit longer than expected to review the plans and some minor changes

were requested."

Besseche is

on vacation this week and unavailable for comment.

"After

the changes were made, the plans were delivered by courier to the appropriate

staff members at Fayette and Coweta counties on Aug. 18," the city

claims. "Staff is currently reviewing legal issues concerning right-of-way

acquisition for the project."

Lee Hearn,

director of the county road department whose crews will build the stretch

on the Fayette County side, agreed that details on right of way have been

the sticking point.

"The thing

is all the pieces have to be in place before we even can go to the state

and show them what we want to do to get the funds," he said.

"As soon

as we get the DOT to sign off and get us the money, we'll be out there,"

said Hearn.

But blame for

the delay in acquiring that right of way, say Hearn and others, remains

with Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown.

"He's

never supported it," said Hearn. "Mr. Dunn (County Commission

Chairman Greg Dunn) wants me there turning dirt as soon as I can."

Brown hasn't

been quiet about his opposition to the extension, arguing that it will

dump unwanted traffic onto already crowded two-lane Ga. Highway 74 South.

City officials

say the issue there is four acres of additional right of way needed for

the project that's owned by Pathway Communities, previously known as Peachtree

City Development Corporation and still the largest landowner in the city.

A swap of four

acres of city-owned property set aside for park space was proposed, but

Brown nixed it.

"I don't

want to give up anymore of our precious park land," said Brown, adding

that "a compromise" will be worked out.

He blamed the

DIRECT PAC political action group for stirring up the issue.

Hearn said

his crews are busy on other odd jobs around the county, but are set to

move quickly to TDK Boulevard when they get the word.

"I don't

have any more projects this important," he said. "As soon as

we can get down there and start working, we will."

The Fayette

length of the road is just three-quarters of a mile, but Coweta County

must carve a whole new road out of the woodlands and is more anxious to

get started.

"They

have a lot more work to do," Hearn said.