Wednesday, February 12, 2003
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Wednesday, February 12, 2003 |
PTC ponies up money for TDK Boulevard extensionBy JOHN
MUNFORD and By JOHN
THOMPSON
The money is there, the engineering is next for building a new east-west crossing over Line Creek that will link Fayette and Coweta counties. The TDK Boulevard extension agreement, ratified by the Peachtree City Council last Thursday, is seen as crucial to easing traffic congestion on Ga. Highway 54, particularly since the Hwy. 54 widening project that begins this summer is slated to last two years. But since engineering for the road is not yet complete, construction of the TDK extension is not likely to begin anytime soon. The TDK agreement, also signed by the Fayette County Commission, calls for the county to coordinate the project and for the city to kick in $200,000 toward the final cost. If a grant becomes available from the Georgia Department of Transportation, the county will get the funds since it is in charge of constructing the road. Peachtree City Councilman Steve Rapson said that clause of the agreement concerned him, but he felt it was important for the funds to be allocated and he would sign off on the agreement in the spirit of cooperating with county officials. Mayor Steve Brown said he felt it was best to "lock in to a figure that we'd need to be liable for" rather than hope for offsetting grant funds from the state. The city must kick in $150,000 up front, with $120,000 coming from the council contingency fund and the remainder from the contingency fund for the public improvement plan. Another $50,000 will have to be budgeted for next year to complete the city's obligations for the road. The city is also footing the bill for the engineering services for the road with the goal of presenting the plan to the county "ready to bid" once the engineering is complete. The road will pick up where it leaves off at the Fayette County Water Treatment Plant in southwestern Peachtree City and eventually cross via a new bridge over Line Creek. The new road, close to the planned Lake McIntosh dam, will link up with McIntosh Trail in Coweta County. County Commission Chairman Greg Dunn said he was pleased to see the agreement finally approved. Peachtree City will now turn over all the preliminary engineering reports to the county, and the county will coordinate efforts with Coweta County to get the road and bridge built.
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