Development forces another delay in Hwy. 54 expansion

By J. FRANK LYNCH
jflynch@theCitizenNews.com

Commercial development approved for Ga. Highway 54 West since plans were first drawn up for widening the corridor have forced still more delays, pushing the estimated start of the project to April at the earliest, transportation officials confirmed earlier this week.

The addition of Home Depot and Wal-Mart to the congested stretch of highway has dramatically changed the traffic patterns of the area, said David Millen, pre-construction engineer.

"There was some development that went on out there after we were deep into design on this project," Millen said. "When some of that hits late in the game, it generates different traffic patterns and we have to modify our plans."

"They started selling them off very rapidly," he said of RAM Development, which built Home Depot and has plans for the Line Creek Church property.

In addition, Peachtree City has either approved or proposed a host of new developments along Hwy. 54 in front of Home Depot that factor significantly into the DOT's plans, Millen said.

"All of the projects reviewed and approved during the last few years included the latest right-of-way information that could be obtained," from the DOT, said Betsy Tyler, the city's public information officer.

"The City is aware of delays in Ga. DOT acquiring certain parcels of the right of way due to nonagreement between the landowner and Ga. DOT on the value of the property, Tyler's office said. "This is not unusual in a project this size.

"The only design changes the city has participated in with the DOT are the location and design of the sidewalks on the north side of the highway," Tyler said. "We've requested that it meander through the right-of-way rather than follow their traditional design of having the sidewalk immediately abut the road.However, that is an issue within the right of way and should not affect the acquisition process."

According to Tyler, city planners worked with the DOT to come up with the following modifications, all to be funded by a Liveable Cities Initiative (LCI) grant.

Changed the design of the median from a rural section to an urban section.

Eliminated the sidewalks on either side of the road.

Added decorative street lights and signal poles at each intersection.

Changed the design for the CSX railroadbridge.

That meant going back to dozens of individual landowners to renegotiate right of way contracts.

The 1.83 miles of highway included in the Fayette County portion of the contract stretches from Hwy. 74 to Fisher Road in Coweta County. It includes 59 individual parcels that had to be negotiated, Millen said.

Of those, just 32 have contracts. Appraisals on the other 22 are due to the DOT any time now, Millen said, and once those are in hand offers will be made from the state to the property owners based on fair market value.

But with the legal entanglements that usually ensue, it will still be months before all the deals are signed and construction can start.

"It's not as easy as it sounds," Millen said.

Work to relieve the heavy congestion on busy Hwy. 34 between Newnan and Fisher Road may start much sooner in Coweta, where some houses along the route are already being uprooted and moved by house moving contractors.

Dorothy Daniel of the DOT said Tuesday that the Coweta phase is still scheduled to be let and work begin in November.

The Fayette stretch is much more complicated.

"It's going to be major construction," said Millen of the $6.7 million widening, to include raised medians, new traffic cuts, lights and sidewalks. "It's something we've been needing."

The work will take about two years from start to completion.