The new federal highway bill passed by Congress last week earmarks $2 million to upgrade Cornelia's commercial corridor from Cannon Bridge Road to Walnut Street.

Georgia Department of Transportation plans call for widening approximately 2.74 miles of state Highway 105 (more commonly known as Veterans Memorial Drive) to ease traffic congestion and improve safety in the area.

The project includes adding lanes, raised medians and traffic signals around the Wal-Mart and Kmart shopping centers; changing the state Highway 365 ramps; adding lanes to the stretch of road by Ethicon; and adding one-way, double-lane streets from Camp Creek Road to Main Street. Completion of the project is expected around 2012.

The highway bill, known as the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, secures $27.6 million in highway and transit funds for North Georgia, including:

* $4.32 million for the West Cleveland Bypass from U.S. Highway 129 to State Highway 75;
* $4.32 million to widen the Toccoa Bypass from Highway 17 to Highway 365;
* $2 million to widen Highway 15 (U.S. 441) from Clayton to the North Carolina line;
* $320,000 to replace sidewalks and upgrade lighting in Helen. U.S. Rep. Charlie

Norwood said Monday U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson deserve the appreciation of the Ninth District for playing a critical role in gaining funding for all projects in the district.

"Thanks to our two senators for Georgia working in tandem with the House, we came out better on this highway bill than I think any of us imagined," Norwood said. "We won House requests, and then our senators did even better. This victory shows how well our Georgia teamwork pays off in Washington."

The bill also includes $1.32 million each for feasibility studies for proposed Interstate 3, a highway that would run from Savannah to Augusta to Knoxville, and for proposed Interstate 14, slated to run from Augusta to Mississippi.

The funding more than triples the $400,000 each originally proposed for the studies.

"The increased funding will allow transportation officials to conduct much more thorough studies for I-3 and I-14, allowing for a better-informed decision on whether to proceed with either of these two interstates," said Sheridan Watson, deputy press secretary for U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, on Tuesday.

Georgia DOT district spokesperson Teri Pope said Tuesday it will cost at least that much to do an adequate study because it costs several thousand dollars to do a feasibility study of even five miles.

Pope said the feasibility study will have to take into account 53 different federal environmental laws to see if a buildable route even exists. She said the laws deal with wetland, water, noise, habitat endangerment, archaeology and historical preservation.

"Adequate federal highway funds are especially critical for our mountain counties," Isakson said Monday. "We have to find ways to provide safe and efficient highways to accommodate the population growth we know will continue, while preserving the environment and the unique atmosphere of the mountains."

"This win for North Georgia is key to maintaining balance in addressing current and future needs of the region," Chambliss said. "We're moving forward simultaneously with projects to address immediate challenges such as the bypasses in Cleveland and Toccoa, while planning for long-term transportation needs."

Hosting donated by
Netspace Ads.com