West side water line must be moved before Hwy. 54 grows to four lanes

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

The widening of Ga. Highway 54 West in Peachtree City to four lanes won't just bring traffic headaches.

The project will also require the relocation of a major water line that serves the west side of the city, including subdivisions and commercial developments north and south of the highway, according to water system officials.

When the line is relocated no date has been set residents and businesses in the area will have some interruptions in their water service, said water system director Tony Parrott. Those affected will receive advance warning of the service interruption, which is expected to last a half-day at a time.

The shutdown will also affect stores in the area such as the Home Depot, Parrott added. Subdivisions that will be affected include Planterra Ridge, Wynnmeade and others off MacDuff Parkway, he said.

"This section of Highway 54 is the spine of the water system in that area," Parrott told the county water committee Wednesday morning.

County consulting engineer David Jaeger said the service cutoffs will affect small areas at a time as the water lines are connected to the new line that will be installed.

The county is hoping to get the work done before construction begins on the widening project. But the Georgia Department of Transportation has not completed right-of-way acquisition, Jaeger said.

The new water line will be located on the far edge of the right-of-way, so the county cannot proceed with the project until the right-of-way acquisition is complete, Jaeger added.

After the new water line is installed, it must be pressure tested and disinfected before it can be used, Jaeger said.