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PTC: ‘Lay on, MacDuff (Pkwy.), annex or not’; City earmarks $280K for engineering to extension to Hwy. 74

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

It almost goes without saying: if driving on Ga. Highway 54 West in Peachtree City is part of your daily routine, you can expect to get snarled in traffic.

That’s the case for city residents who live in subdivisions off MacDuff Parkway on the city’s west side. Thursday night, the City Council voted to set aside $280,000 for engineering work on extending the road northward all the way to Ga. Highway 74, which would provide an alternate route into the area.

City staff prepared estimates for two different possibilities to extend MacDuff, creating a bypass around the busy intersection at hwys. 54 and 74.

Extending the road to an at-grade railroad crossing that would line up with the southern leg of Kedron Drive could cost about $2.79 million, said Clyde Stricklin, the city’s director of developmental services.

Extending the road further north, which includes a bridge over the railroad track and would line up at the northern leg of Kedron Drive, could cost $6.13 million, he added.

The figures came with a warning that they are rough estimates based on costs for existing road projects and should not be considered firm in calculating possible future costs.

Ultimately, the city may want a developer to absorb the cost of extending the road under either scenario, but it will take some sort of annexation for the city to have such control.

An annexation proposal for 900 acres with an included bridge over the CSX railroad tracks was voted down by a different council five years ago.

The road needs to be done “whether we have an annexation or we don’t have an annexation,” said Councilman Steve Rapson. “All this road is is a smaller version of TDK (Boulevard).”

The funds could come from other city road projects that will now be funded by proceeds from the countywide Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax approved by voters in November, Rapson said.

“The road needs to happen whether they build in the county or not,” said Councilwoman Judi-ann Rutherford, referring to the 360-acre annexation proposed by John Wieland Homes that includes extending MacDuff Parkway to the at-grade crossing across from the southern end of Kedron Drive.

“The citizens deserve traffic relief,” said Councilman Murray Weed.

Rapson said he wants city to work with county officials on making the road a top priority.

“We can’t build a road in the county,” Rapson noted, adding that an intergovernmental agreement and other contracts would come back before the City Council for approval.

MacDuff Parkway will be extended to the city limits as part of the fourth phase of the Centennial subdivision, noted City Planner David Rast. Centennial is a project of John Wieland Homes. That extension will not reach Hwy. 74, however.

The motion to set aside the funding was approved unanimously by council.