Work continues on some of the local road projects while other projects have been pushed back.

Officials from the Georgia Department of Transportation said work is ongoing on the widening and turn lane additions along North Expressway and by intersection with McIntosh Road, in the area of the Wal-Mart. It also included the moving of some utilities, explained Bill Rountree of GDOT.

Another similar project near the old Wal-Mart, along North Expressway from Ellis Road to Taylor Street has, however, been moved to long range. A project in that same area, the reopening, repurposing or removal of the Old Atlanta Road bridge behind the University of Georgia Griffin Campus is still being worked out with state, local and UGA officials.

“We’ll work between us and y’all to work out the details,” Rountree told local officials at last week’s Griffin-Spalding Area Transportation Committee meeting.

Preliminary work continues on the bridge replacement over the Flint River at McIntosh Road. The local match for Spalding County may be about $600,000 and will most likely come from 2008 SPLOST funds, said County Manager William Wilson.

The proposed roundabout on Georgia Highway 16 at the Hollonville Road/Old 85 Connector intersection, Rountree said, did not make the December right-of-way deadline. There’s now concern because the new Dollar General at the intersection will require the original plans to be changed or the roundabout location to shifted as it is in the proposed right of way for the roundabout, GDOT officials explained.

Another intersection improvement, at Rover-Zatella Road/Moreland Road and Georgia Highway 362 will now need a noise study, thanks to new federal environmental regulations, Rountree said.

The Troublesome Creek bridge replacement along Jordan Hill Road is moving along now, with a written commitment from the Army Corps of Engineers that a culvert is OK, Rountree said. “It keeps the road open during construction, a win-win, with a culvert at a lower cost.”

There were concerns the bridge replacement would have had to close the road, which is the by the primary route into town for Sun City Peachtree residents as the main entrance is on Jordan Hill Road. At one point, the Sun City developers had even offered additional right of way to allow the room for a new bridge to be built and keep the road open during construction.