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Brown wants I-85-Hwy. 74 improvement pact

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown is hoping to convince area governments to sign a pact to support traffic improvements for the I-85 interchange on Ga. Highway 74.

The agreement, which has been in the works for more than two years, also seeks to prioritize construction of ramps to connect nearby Ga. Highway 92 to Interstate 85 so commuters can get in and out of Atlanta. That project is necessary because of the 1,200 to 1,500 residents that will come from townhomes under construction in the area, Brown said.

“It’s going to take a lot of work with the DOT to get that done,” said Brown, who has become frustrated at how slow the projects are advancing. By joining forces with other cities and counties, a group of supporters could have more lobbying force for change, he added.

A number of distribution centers in the area of the Hwy. 74 interchange with I-85 would benefit from giving interstate access to Hwy. 92, Brown said. Those centers currently use Oakley Industrial Boulevard to reach Hwy. 74 and I-85, he added.

“One of those businesses, U.S. Foodservice, does 500 trucks and tractor trailers a day all by themselves,” Brown said. He also noted that the CSX railroad multimodal site in Fairburn is not operating close to capacity, and could add much more traffic to the Hwy. 74/I-85 interchange.

Brown wants the cities of Fairburn, Tyrone, Union City and Peachtree City to join Coweta, Fayette and Fulton counties in agreeing to the need for the traffic improvements.

The agreement, which does not obligate any of the governments to funding for any of the projects, will come before the Peachtree City Council first, perhaps at the July 21 meeting. After that, Brown will take it to the other governing bodies for possible approval.

“I think we’ve got a very good chance we’ll get unanimous support for the memorandum,” Brown said.

The south Fulton governments are in a different Department of Transportation District, so if they sign on, the allied group can lobby two members of the state’s DOT board, Brown said. Given the growth projected for eastern Coweta County and other areas, Brown said the improvement projects are crucial.

“If we don’t do this project, we won’t have anyone to blame but ourselves,” Brown said.

The transportation pact also seeks implementation of van pooling and park-and-ride lot identification in addition to representation on the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Freight Study, Brown noted.