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Authority gives $10K to city for redesign of TDK Extension

Current plan goes through airport’s safety area

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

The extension of TDK Boulevard, which would provide another transportation link between Peachtree City and Coweta County, likely will be getting a redesign on the Fayette side.

The current design for the road has the extension passing along the northern border of the airport, but that would encroach into the airport’s runway safety area. FAA officials indicated that could cause a problem in the future, so Peachtree City is making plans to re-route the initial part of the road.

Currently, TDK dead-ends just past Dividend Drive in the city’s industrial park area.

Falcon Field’s runway safety area extends 1,000 feet from the end of the runway and is designed to give aircraft extra room if problems arise during takeoff or landing.

The city’s airport authority met Wednesday night, approving a $10,000 payment to the city to help fund the redesign process. Officials plan to use two existing golf holes at Planterra Ridge golf club, which is adjacent to Falcon Field, so the road could be routed around the airport’s runway safety area.

The holes will likely be relocated on undeveloped land nearby that must be purchased by the city, officials said.

The city council is expected to take up the issue of redesigning the TDK extension at its meeting Thursday.

The $10,000 from the airport authority will come out of its general fund, said Chairwoman Cathy Nelmes.

Land set aside for the proposed new reservoir for Fayette County, Lake McIntosh, is also in the area and factors in to the design of the road. The county hasn’t received permission from regulatory agencies to build the lake yet, however.

Also a factor is Line Creek, which forms a natural barrier between Fayette and Coweta counties, thus requiring a bridge for the project also.

Falcon Field Airport Manager John Crosby noted that the county has committed to paving the road with its crews, but “they just don’t know where.”

The design process has been left up to Peachtree City and until he resigned recently to take another job, the project was handled by City Engineer Troy Besseche.

As late as June of this year, officials estimated the project would be complete by the summer of 2006.