Wednesday, June 13, 2001
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Wednesday, June 13, 2001 |
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PTC OKs fixes for 5474 By JOHN MUNFORD
Instead of waiting for the Wal-Mart/Home Depot developer to build road improvements for the Ga. Highway 54/74 intersection, the Peachtree City Council has approved funding five short-term road improvements for the area. Three of the five projects are part of the traffic improvement plan which RAM Development is responsible for building so the retail center can meet the guidelines of the city's traffic ordinance. But the development agreement stipulating those projects hasn't been signed yet. Doug Dillard, an attorney for RAM, said the firm will reimburse the city for any funds it spends on those three projects, as long as the cost is within reason and if the development is given a green light. The project is currently awaiting the final permits from the state Department of Transportation, Dillard said. Once those are in hand, the development agreement can be signed and the road improvement projects will be one of the first items RAM wants completed, he added. Despite Dillard's assurances, Councilman Steve Rapson said council should prepare to spend money from its contingency fund to pay for the projects. "The issue is we're already three weeks further down the road," Rapson said, referring to the previous council meeting where no action was taken on the issue. Waiting any longer to act would do a disservice to city residents who get stuck in traffic there every day, he added. If council is reimbursed for the three projects by RAM, only $157,000 would come out of the contingency fund for the other two projects, Rapson said. The estimated total for all five projects is $432,000. If the city performs the work, a delay could be caused by the process of applying for DOT permits, said City Manager Jim Basinger. The projects, in priority order, are: The addition of a 250-foot right turn lane off Hwy. 54 east onto Huddleston Drive, tabbed at $85,000. The idea is to 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 addition of a right turn lane on Huddleston at that intersection for traffic heading eastbound on Hwy. 54. The $187,000 project would make the signal switch for Huddleston shorter, officials believe. Extending 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. Installing 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 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.
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