DOT approves start of bidding process

Peachtree City officials are preparing to seek bids for the long-awaited construction of the approaches to the cart path bridge that spans the CSX railroad on Ga. Highway 54 W.

The DOT “notice to proceed” with the bid process was recently received by the city, allowing the three-years dormant project to proceed closer to the construction phase.

The city will advertise for bidders and select one, with that selection requiring one more approval from DOT before construction can begin. City officials are hopeful construction can begin before the end of the year.

The bridge will allow path users to travel under and along Hwy. 54, linking the Best Buy shopping area with the Marketplace shopping center and The Avenue shopping center.

The bridge itself has been in place for three years, built by a DOT contractor when Hwy. 54 was widened to four lanes. Tunnels under the road to connect the paths to the bridge were also built with the road widening.

But without the approach paths connecting the tunnels and bridge, they remained unusable ... and a thorn in the side of city officials who have become frustrated with a lack of progress on the project.

Part of the problem was that the bridge construction and the path approaches were considered two separate projects by the DOT, city officials have said previously. The path connection project grant comes from the Liveable Centers Initiative which encourages communities to design and build neighborhoods where residents can live, work and play.

At one point the pending path approach project was on hold for months as the city awaited a DOT permit certifying the path wouldn’t adversely affect air quality. Most golf carts on the system are electric and produce no emissions, though there are still some gas powered carts in town. The path system’s other patrons — bikers, skaters, joggers and walkers — in some cases improve air quality by ditching their gas-powered autos for short trips that can be accomplished on the paths.

Under the grant program the city will pay roughly $50,000 for the project, a cost that would quadruple had the city struck out on its own to pay the entire bill.

As recently as May there was some question whether the state would honor the grant as the DOT has had a funding crisis followed by recently-discovered accounting troubles. But the notice to proceed with the bidding process all but assures the project will be funded.