Fort Oglethorpe approves engineering tasks needed for planned U.S. 41 development
Fort Oglethorpe has approved engineering for an access road and traffic signal needed for the recently announced “Highway 41 Project” development coming to U.S. 41 at Scruggs Road.
On Feb. 26, after City Manager Jennifer Payne-Simpkins gave a rundown of the new development, Public Works and Recreation Director Jeff Long presented the board with the initial engineering costs for both needs.
Long described the access road as 1,000 feet of access from Scruggs Road to the proposed development on Ga. Highway 41 on the opposite side of South Sanctuary Road.
“This task order will be for providing the engineering services that’s required to design and oversee the bidding and construction of the roadway,” Long explained.
Long also said that on both task orders, the county Economic Development Authority (EDA) will be splitting the cost.
“The total cost for the engineering is $30,500,” Long said. “Our part of this will be $15,250.”
As far as the signal light at U.S. 41 and South Sanctuary Road, Long says the cost covers data collection, the traffic signal warrant study, traffic operations report, intersectional control evaluation, design, and the overseeing of bidding and construction.
“The total on this one is $42,900, which means our cost is $21,450,” Long said.
While the name of the developer and the names of potential businesses are still unknown, Payne-Simpkins said the development is expected to increase the site’s property value by approximately $10 million and create “over 100 full-time and part-time jobs.”
Payne-Simpkins says she’s been told by the developer that that project will completed ahead of schedule.
“We’re projecting about April 2019, although the developer believes the project will be complete long before then,” she said.