County debates $50.8 million TSPLOST projects

Published 12:00 pm Friday, November 10, 2017

TIFTON — The Tift County Board of Commissioners debated a proposed $50.8 million TSPLOST project list at its Nov. 7 workshop meeting.

Earlier this year, the 18-county region Tift County is part of decided to hold a region-wide TSPLOST vote.

That vote is set for May 2018.

Each community has to submit a list of possible projects.

Tift County Special Projects Manager Jason Jordan presented the proposed list to the commission.

A number of proposed road widenings account for $22 million of the project list.

Those road projects include:

• One mile of King Road widened to four lane with turning patterns from I-75 to Carpenter Road.

• 3.5 miles of Lower Ty Ty Road widened to two paved lanes with turning patterns from Ty Ty Sparks Road to U.S. 82.

• Widening Mt. Olive Church Road to three or four lanes from Hwy. 319 to Old Ocilla Road and Kennedy Road.

• Widening 2.75 miles of S. Carpenter Road to three lanes from Hwy. 82 to Hwy. 319.

• Widening 2.5 miles of Whiddon Mill Road to three to four lanes, starting at Upper Ty Ty Road and continuing on to I-75.

A $15 million storm water drainage infrastructure improvement project for South Tifton was proposed.

“We’ve got open ditches,” said Jordan. “They’re a maintenance nightmare. There’s no way to get in there with equipment and keep them cleaned out. Trash gets dumped in them. We need to pipe these ditches, level everything off and let water flow like it’s supposed to down there.”

A number of bridge repair and widening were on the list, totaling $8.5 million.

“They’re narrow, they’re old,” said Jordan. “We feel like that’s a public safety issue.”

Those bridge projects include:

• Two are for Omega-Eldorado Road, one over Arnold Creek and one over Little River.

• Two are for Ferry Lake Road/W.B. Parks over the Alapaha River Tributary.

• One of those bridges are for Upper Ty Ty Road over Little River.

• One for Scooterville Road over Little Creek.

• One is for Ty Ty-Chula Road over Little River.

A $5 million taxiway improvement project for the Tift County Airport and a $1.2 million biking/walking trail that would run from I-75 Exit 62 to Carpenter Road were also on the list.

Commissioner Melissa Hughes questioned the biking/walking trail project being on the list.

“I’m a walker, myself,” said Hughes. “I just do not see this being part of this project. This is money that could be going to our community. Our community is missing out for a walking trail. I don’t see it. When this money could be going towards more lighting, upgrading our streets.”

The board is expected to vote on the list at its Nov. 13 meeting.

If the TSPLOST is approved by voters in May 2018, 75 percent of the money Tift County would receive from it has to go towards pre-approved projects.

The county would decide what transportation projects to put the remaining 25 percent towards.