Voters in Henry County will decide later this year whether to approve transportation SPLOST. Here is a preview of proposed transportation SPLOST projects in Hampton and Locust Grove. Election Day is November 2, 2021.
Transportation SPLOST is a proposed one-cent local sales tax. The program would be new in Henry County. If voters approve the ballot question, then the local sales tax will increase to eight percent next spring. The sales tax is presently 7% in the county. The T-SPLOST tax would be in effect for five years beginning April 1, 2022.
Transportation SPLOST Projects
The T-SPLOST program is forecast to collect $245 million. From which, the county and four cities will share in proceeds. The split is based on 2019 population estimates.
This article previews T-SPLOST projects in both Hampton and Locust Grove. Visit here for the county project list as well as McDonough and Stockbridge.
Hampton Projects
Hampton’s transportation SPLOST projects can be broken down into a few categories. They include stormwater improvements, sidewalks and resurfacing. Proposed projects are as follows:
| Street Name | Stormwater Work | Resurfacing | Sidewalks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elm Street | Yes | Yes | |
| College Street | Yes | Yes | |
| Central Avenue | Yes | Yes | |
| Lower Woolsey Road | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Barham Street | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| East Main Street | Yes | Yes | |
| McDonough Street | Yes | Yes |
The project on Elm Street will also include resurfacing between East Main and Bridge Mill Drive. In addition, work on Barham Street will change the road to one-way traffic with on-street parking. The projects above have a total cost of $6.5 million. There is also $1.4 million set aside for more resurfacing.
Finally, Hampton has two intersection projects. The first project is East King, McDonough and Rosenwald. The cost estimate is $1.2 million. The city also set aside $300,000 for Hampton-Locust Grove Road at McDonough Street.
Locust Grove Projects
The city of Locust Grove focuses their projects especially along highway 42. The city is proposing the following:
- State Route 42 congestion relief between Colvin Drive to MLK Jr Boulevard — $3.5 million
- Highway 42 widening between Bill Gardner Pkwy and Marketplace — $900,000
- State Route 42 at Bethlehem Road intersection improvement — $200,000
The projects above are in collaboration with both Henry County and Georgia DOT. The state recently pledged $800,000 towards a downtown study. The study will look at short and long-term recommendations to improve traffic flow. County Commissioner Johnny Wilson also pledged $250,000 towards the highway 42 projects.
Finally, the city has a few other projects. They include the following:
- I-75 at Bill Gardner Pkwy improvements — $500,000
- Bikeway / Pathway network — $250,000
- Resurfacing — $2.15 million
The Bill Gardner Parkway improvements are presently under review by the state. The city previously considered adding a median from I-75 to highway 42. They have paused that project for now because of available funding.
Featured image shows a four-lane road in Georgia with custom road sign overlay. Photo credit Georgia DOT and Sign Maker by Brendon Strowe.
