The SPLOST V committee met a few days ago at New Hope Elementary to discuss commission district I. The committee looked at transportation project costs for the first time – a list valued at over $60 million to implement all suggested projects within the district. No recommendations were made by the committee to allow additional time to review and prioritize based on the cost estimates.
The committee will revisit district I at the February 7 meeting at Heritage Senior Center. The meeting will discuss commission districts I and III. Several major transportation projects are shared between the districts, including the state route 81 widening and South Ola Road extension at North Ola.
The committee is budgeting projects worth $18,811,000 within each commission district, following the adoption of $71 million in countywide project recommendations. The board of commissioners will decide the final project list in summer 2019.
A list of the possible projects, and their cost estimates, has been provided below. Please note that most of the dirt roads are listed because they were not completed in previous programs. State law allows the BOC to consider a voter referendum to remove an old project if it has “become impractical, unserviceable, unrealistic, or otherwise not in the best interest of the county or the municipality.” To my knowledge, that option has never been exercised in Henry County, but should be considered on the dirt roads that are either dead end roads or would offer little added connectivity to residents if paved.
| Project | Cost Estimate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Major Transportation Projects | ||
| SR 81 (Phase I, Postmaster to Bethany) | $4,013,777.35 | Local match for ROW and Construction, Joint project with district III |
| SR 81 (Phase II, Bethany to Keys Ferry) | $1,426,600.40 | Design, Joint project with district III |
| McDonough Parkway (SR 20 to Henry Connector) | $3,908,969.54 | Construction, Continuation from SPLOST IV |
| Bill Gardner Parkway (I-75 to SR 155) | $705,000.00 | Right of Way funding, Design completed in SPLOST II |
| South Ola Road extension at SR 81 | $1,591,764.35 | Joint project with district III |
| Intersection Improvements | ||
| Bill Gardner Parkway at Lester Mill Road | $2,232,765.47 | |
| Racetrack Road at Iris Lake & Travis Drive | $2,159,726.72 | Joint project with district III |
| Peeksville Road at Leguin Mill Road | $2,105,801.66 | |
| Peeksville Road at Old Jackson Road | $2,351,412.83 | |
| McDonough Parkway at Henry Parkway | $2,036,000.00 | |
| Dirt Road Projects | ||
| Peeksville Road (Bridge to Old Jackson) | $4,087,674.08 | Continuation from SPLOST IV |
| Burg Road (County Line to Peeksville) | $4,054,000.00 | |
| Ellistown Road (Peeksville to Mocassin Gap) | $2,866,137.38 | SPLOST II not completed project |
| Sandy Ridge Road (Keys Ferry to Stallsworth) | $1,764,750.00 | |
| Cardell Drive (Leguin Mill to South Ola) | $3,159,750.18 | SPLOST II not completed project |
| Sipka Road (LG-Griffin to County Line) | $2,767,500.00 | SPLOST I not completed project |
| Hosannah Road (LG-Griffin to County Line) | $4,483,000.00 | SPLOST II not completed project |
| Luella Road (End of pavement to Frog Road) | $1,560,000.00 | SPLOST I not completed project |
| Weems Road (Hampton-Locust Grove to end) | $5,554,151.63 | SPLOST II not completed project |
| Laney Road (South Ola to New Hope) | $3,830,100.00 | |
| Bridge Improvements | ||
| Hampton-Locust Grove Road over Towaliga River | $1,224,286.00 | Joint project with district II |
| Resurfacing, Surface Treatment, & Widening | ||
| Hampton-Locust Grove Road | $1,407,031.25 | Joint project with district II |
| LG-Griffin Road (Tanger Blvd to Hosannah) | $886,000.00 | |
| Total | $60,176,198.83 | |
The SPLOST V committee is meeting once in each commission district before concluding its work. Residents are encouraged to attend the meetings and hear about proposed improvements in their area.
All meetings are held on Thursdays at 6:30 pm.
- District 2 – January 24 (Luella Middle School)
- District 3 – February 7 (Heritage Senior Center)
- District 4 – February 28 (Timber Ridge Elementary)
- District 5 – March 7 (Cotton Indian Elementary)
- Final Meeting – March 21 (Henry County Administration Building)
