Wednesday, January 22, 2003
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Wednesday, January 22, 2003 |
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Fayette-Coweta Connector: FORE! Errant golfballs, low-flying
aircraft By JOHN MUNFORD
When TDK Boulevard is extended from Peachtree City into Coweta County, motorists will be under the path of aircraft departing Falcon Field and potentially in the path of errant golf balls from the fifth hole of the Planterra Ridge golf course. But there's nowhere else the road can be relocated to avoid either situation. The two-lane road currently ends at the entrance to the Fayette County Water Treatment Plant. Once TDK Blvd. is extended, it will continue west along a narrow strip that weaves between Falcon Field and the golf course. The fifth hole of Planterra is oriented almost parallel to the road and there's little room for a buffer because of the proximity of Falcon Field to the south. City Engineer Troy Besseche said the city will likely wait until after the road is open to see if mis-hit golf balls become a problem. One possible solution would be to erect a fence, he said. Most of the engineering work is done, but the city is waiting to hear from state dam officials to determine if culverts need to be run under a section of the road that will serve as a spillway for the planned Lake McIntosh reservoir. If that's the case, it could add to the construction time for the project, which could reach as high as $4 million if the culverts are required, Besseche added. Without the culverts it will take between 12 to 18 months to build the road, 0.72 miles of which is on the Peachtree City side and 1.66 miles of which is across the creek in the jurisdiction of Coweta County. The current plans for the road include room for two four-foot bike lanes on either side of the road that will be striped to distinguish them from the automobile traffic, Besseche said. A 427-foot bridge will be built to traverse Line Creek, which is approximately 150 feet wide in that location, he noted. The road extension will not go over the top of the dam for Lake McIntosh which was previously considered as an alternative, Besseche said. Instead, a bridge further south of Line Creek will be built to reach Coweta County. The project has been in the engineering stage since fall of 1999. Local business and industry leaders are supporting the extension of the road into Coweta County to provide an alternate route for employees entering the city's industrial park.
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