Millions More For Augusta Area Road Projects

Augusta, GA—It’s been the street to C.A Reid’s business for 50 years, and he’s happy to hear Laney-Walker Boulevard is in line for some work.

“I think it really needs to be done as soon as possible, there’s a lot of problems we have in the area I think it’s going to be a good project,” he said.

The project would repave and patch-up Laney walker from Sand Bar Ferry Road to New Savannah Road at a cost of $1 million.

It’s one of ten local project city officials would like to see paid for from $8.5 million the Augusta area is in line to get from stimulus bill to pay for local projects.

“This will address projects that would not have got done otherwise because of cut backs at the state level in funding for resurfacing projects and other safety and maintenance activities,” said Paul DeCamp, City Planner.

When it comes to safety few things are more important than traffic lights and street lights, but because of the decades old wiring on Broad Street, city officials are not confident they’ll always work.

Meaning the lights could one night go out in this part of Georgia.

“The signals and street lights are about forty years old, a lot of the conduits are frayed some of it’s beyond repair so if it failed we would have a difficult time to repair lots of it,” says Traffic Engineer Steve Cassell.

The light upgrade would run about three million dollars; it’s also on the list for local stimulus funding.

“Is this ready to go will you be able to spend this money like the bill said quickly, I asked Cassell?

“We could get it started tomorrow if they gave me the money,” he said.

Augusta’s list for local project funding is a little more than $9 million; Columbia County’s project list runs about $4 million.

The Augusta Area Regional Transportation Study Committee will be approving the final list in the near future.

DeCamp says with only eight and a half million expected the Committee will have to do some trimming of the list.

List of locally requested stimulus projects not yet approved for the Augusta area:

• Resurfacing and maintenance on Broad Street from 15th Street to East Boundary. Cost is $817,344.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Jones Street from 14th Street to 10th Street. Cost is $215,688.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Walton Way from 15th Street to 3rd Street. Cost is $756,800.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Walton Way from 15th Street to Johns Road. Cost is $650,848.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Walton Way from Johns Road to Jackson Road/Walton Way Extension. Cost is $657,944.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Laney Walker Boulevard from Sand Bar Ferry Road to New Savannah Road. Cost is $1,063,304.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Keysville Road from County Line to State Road 88. Cost is $610,382.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Windsor Spring Road from Willis Foreman Road to State Road 88. Cost is $945,300.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Windsor Spring Road from Tobacco Road to Willis Foreman Road. Cost is $535,075.
• Traffic signal and street light upgrades on Broad Street from 5th Street to 13th Street. Cost is $3,000,000.

List of tentatively approved Georgia Department of Transportation Stimulus Projects For The Augusta Area:

• Bridge replacement on Wrightsboro Road over Euchee Creek near Grovetown. Cost is $3,863,560.
• Passing lanes on Harlem-Appling Road. Cost is $8,469,798.
• Widening of Alexander Drive in Augusta. Cost is $10,968,300.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Reynolds Street from 13th Street to Riverwatch Parkway. Cost is $106,860.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Jones Street from Riverwatch Parkway to 13th Street. Cost is $125,561.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Sand Bar Ferry Road. Cost is $2,859,936.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Deans Bridge Road from the Jefferson County line to near Tobacco Road. Cost is $3,316,455.
• Resurfacing and maintenance on Doug Barnard Parkway/Tobacco Road from Gordon Highway to Mike Padgett Highway. Cost is $2,748,865.