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Middle Georgia Transportation sales tax proposal back on the ballot next spring

Started by afguy, December 23, 2017, 12:56:30 PM

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afguy

If approved it would raise over $600 million during a 10-year period. Some major projects that would be funded include finishing the four laning of S.R. 96 in Peach, Houston and Twiggs County, ROW and design for a Sardis Church Road extension to I-16 and a 7th Street Truck Route around Downtown Macon.
QuoteSeventy-five percent of the transportation sales tax proceeds would be used to pay for the current list of projects. The remaining 25 percent, roughly $159 million, would be divided up by local governments for officials there to decide how best to use on transportation investments, said Laura Mathis, executive director of the Middle Georgia Regional Commission.

Some of the highest estimated cost projects are:

Macon-Bibb County: $30 million for a Sardis Church Road extension to Interstate 16.;
Houston County: a $36.7 million widening of U.S. 41/Ga. 11 from Ga. 96 to Ga. 247;
Baldwin County: $11 million Log Cabin Road widening;
Crawford County: $6 million for passing lanes on U.S. 80 east;
Jones County: $6 million for Henderson Road resurfacing.
There's been a different vibe in this year's T-SPLOST roundtable meetings compared to 2012 when the measure failed to pass, Mathis said.

At that time, the majority of voters in Houston, Putnam, Monroe and Twiggs counties opposed the measures. But with local leaders having more flexibility this year because the proposal was not mandated by state law, the discussions moved at a pace in which the government representatives felt comfortable, Mathis said.
http://www.macon.com/news/local/article189585189.html


Tom958

$30m to extend Sardis Church Road sounded way too cheap, but I'd forgotten about the Sardis Church extension that's already under construction (or is it finished?) as far as US 129-GA 247. From there, it's still over five miles to US 23 at Sgoda Road. but there'd have to be a bridge over the Okmulgee and probably a couple of miles of wetlands. $30m still sounds way too cheap.

lordsutch

Quote from: Tom958 on December 24, 2017, 04:18:24 PM
$30m to extend Sardis Church Road sounded way too cheap, but I'd forgotten about the Sardis Church extension that's already under construction (or is it finished?) as far as US 129-GA 247. From there, it's still over five miles to US 23 at Sgoda Road. but there'd have to be a bridge over the Okmulgee and probably a couple of miles of wetlands. $30m still sounds way too cheap.

That's why it would only cover design and ROW. As for the current project, it's not due to be completed until May 2019 although there has been substantial progress so far.

Finishing the GA 49 Connector Fort Valley bypass (at least as far as GA 96 east) and finishing the GA 96 four-laning over to I-16 is definitely the big ticket project in the proposal. I'm not particularly thrilled with sales taxes as a funding mechanism for roads but it's the best option available under the circumstances.



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