Georgia’s infrastructure improvements will continue thanks to a new round of grants from the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank totaling $16.9 million and funding five projects across the state. Announced by Gov. Brian Kemp and the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA), this new round of funding makes a total of $216 million in grants since the program started in 2010.
“Our state’s unprecedented economic growth is in part thanks to our reliable transportation infrastructure network that serves both hardworking Georgians and the job creators that employ them,” said Kemp. “In order to continue attracting talent and opportunity and maintain our status as the number one state to do business, we must responsibly fund our infrastructure needs. Thanks to this investment, even more communities will see improvements with a generational impact.”
With Georgia increasingly becoming a logistics hub for the southeast, these improvements will build upon an already robust network and very active Department of Transportation.
The largest project in this round of funding is in Peach County. The Lilly Creek Road Project received more than $6 million in combined loans and grants, which will go to pave a distance of two miles of Lilly Creek Road, as well as add a new culvert to prevent flooding. Two miles of paving and a culvert, $6.6 million. U.S. infrastructure is indeed expensive. This project though will improve a northern outlet route out of Fort Valley and connect to the interstate network.
“We are appreciative of the commitment of SRTA and its Board of Directors, led by Governor Kemp, to prioritize the transportation improvement needs of small communities such as ours,” said Peach County Board of Commissioners Chairman Martin Moseley. “This will enable the county to focus on other critical transportation projects, facilitating efficient roads and coordinated planning for new industrial development, preparing for future growth.”
The City of Watkinsville will be getting more than $3.7 million for pedestrian improvements, paving just over a half-mile for a ten-foot wide pathway. The new pathway will allow dedicated pedestrian access for some 25 percent of Watkinsville to the downtown area.
Additional projects include a two-lane in Locust Grove, an intersection in Sandy Springs and a turning lane in Atlanta. These project have a combined cost of more than $6.5 million.
“We are excited that the investment we have made into transportation projects around this state will continue to grow. While we’ve invested $16.9 million throughout the state this year, there were $52 million in additional funds requested, the majority of which was in the form of loans. Thanks to the members of the Georgia General Assembly, starting in Fiscal Year 2025, GTIB’s annual funding allocation from the state legislature will increase from $13 million to $15.4 million,” said SRTA Executive Director, Jannine Miller. “This increase in funding will allow GTIB to help even more local governments throughout the state accelerate project delivery and reduce transportation infrastructure costs for Georgia taxpayers.”
