PTC wants 2 lanes, not 4 on Line Creek bridge

The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority is asking a Fulton County judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Peachtree City challenging GRTA’s requirement for a four-lane bridge across Line Creek for the TDK extension into unincorporated Coweta County.

GRTA claims Peachtree City has no legal standing to challenge its decision, which was tied to the massive McIntosh Village development planned for unincorporated Coweta just across Line Creek from Peachtree City.

Peachtree City contends that it shouldn’t be held responsible for implementing traffic improvements connected to the development since it has no statutory authority over any part of the 3,100 home development. According to GRTA, if the city doesn’t follow through on those traffic improvements by the time the last home is built, GRTA can withhold state and federal funds from other transportation projects in Peachtree City.

City officials have opposed building a four-lane bridge for the planned extension of TDK Boulevard when the city only has enough right-of-way in hand for two lanes. The city is asking for GRTA’s decision to be overturned by the court.

In its legal filings, GRTA claims the city has no legal standing to challenge the lawsuit in large part because the agency gets its powers from state legislation.

Mayor Harold Logsdon has said he doesn’t think the TDK extension needs to be four lanes because Peachtree City couldn’t handle all the resulting traffic. At the same time, Logsdon has said he thinks the road is necessary to keep Ga. Highway 54 from being overburdened with traffic from McIntosh Village and potentially other residential development that could occur in the area.

The lawsuit could jeopardize whether the road extension will be built at all, as the city’s right-of-way is due to revert back to Pathway Communities at the end of Dec. 14, 2009. Officials have said it will take two years to build the bridge, and construction is not likely to begin until the lawsuit is settled and officials know whether the bridge will be two or four lanes wide.

Some Peachtree City residents are worried that completing the TDK extension, known in Coweta as the Vernon “Mutt” Hunter Parkway, would create traffic havoc as McIntosh Village would use the new road to reach Ga. Highway 74 in Peachtree City.

McIntosh Village has been approved by the Coweta County Commission and includes 3,100 homes in addition to 600,000 sq. ft. of retail space and additional office space.

The answer to the suit was filed on GRTA’s behalf by the office of Georgia Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker.

Developer Tom Reese has committed to paying $900,000 towards the cost of the four-lane bridge.