The widening of Ga. Highway

74 South in Peachtree City has been fast-tracked to occur three years

earlier than previously scheduled.

Construction on the $30 million

project is set to begin in the 2006 budget year which starts in 2005,

state Sen. Mitch Seabaugh told the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce

Friday morning. Right-of-way acquisition for the northern leg of the project

will begin in 90 days, he added.

"Highway 74 has been moved

up to the most aggressive schedule there is," Seabaugh said, crediting

the work of state representatives John Yates, John Lunsford and Lynn Westmoreland

along with Fayette County Commission Chairman Greg Dunn in helping make

the project a priority. "We've had a great team that has worked

very hard on your behalf. At the state level they have been approaching

things the right way, identifying a need and developing a way to get it

done."

The project is divided into

two segments by Crosstown Road, but construction on the southern leg will

begin as soon as the work is done on the northern leg, Seabaugh said.

"So they can just keep

on going right on down to Highway 85," Seabaugh said.

The senator said Sam Wellborn,

the Department of Transportation board member who represents Fayette County,

and DOT Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl also played a major role in speeding

up the project.

Industries in Peachtree City

have been clamoring for the widening to help with truck traffic delivering

goods to and from their locations via Interstate 85.

Seabaugh's next goal is

to focus on economic development and attracting appropriate industries

here, "Now that we can get people in and out like we need to."

Seabaugh also mentioned that

construction should begin soon on the Coweta leg of the project to widen

Ga. Highway 54 from Fisher Road in Coweta to the Hwy. 54/74 intersection

in Peachtree City. The Peachtree City side of the project has been delayed

somewhat due to engineering and land acquisition issues, Seabaugh noted.

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