County approves funding for resurfacing of five roads
During a special called meeting Tuesday, Aug. 8, Catoosa County commissioners unanimously approved price-match funding for the resurfacing of five roads at fraction of the overall cost.
After a short presentation from Public Works Director D.E. “Buster Brown,” the board approved $803,082 for the resurfacing of Boynton Drive, Reeds Bridge Road, Cherokee Valley Road, Page Road, and Greens Lake Road.
According to Brown, the county’s expense comes in at a little more than one-fourth of the overall cost of the work thanks to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
“The program was established by the federal government to help maintain roads in urbanized areas,” Brown said.” The grand total for the project is $3,007,082.88. The county’s actual matching fund will be 26.7 percent, or $803,082.88, which will come from SPLOST funds.”
The grant from GDOT for the remainder of the funding runs in threeyear cycles and was applied for by the commission back in 2014.
Brown said the project is slated to be completed by November, making it a time-sensitive issue.
County Manager Jim Walker says the special meeting was called to get the project approved as quickly as possible.
“In essence, we didn’t want to wait until the 15th (the next regularly scheduled commission meeting),” Walker said. “We had this on the agenda, but we wanted this to get going right away. We just didn’t want the holdup to be on our end.”
“So, three million dollars worth of roadwork for $800,000,” commissioner Jim Cutler said.
Brown said that if the county went out and spent $800,000 on road work outside of the TIP program that that amount would only cover about four miles worth of roadway included in the project.
The total project is slated to revamp 13.16 miles between the five roads.
“So we’re getting miles for free,” Brown said.
Brown added that crews are planning on getting started on the work as soon as possible.
Brown also pointed out that Boynton Drive projected needing repairs at least three years ago.
“When I show y’all the deterioration curve of asphalt, in the last three years, you can tell Boynton Drive has gone down,” Brown said. “The longer we wait, the more it costs.”