As winter fades away, it is time for planting - and paving.
Along with the smell of moist earth and blossoms, the scents of spring include the aroma of hot asphalt being spread in Catoosa County.
County commissioners last week approved the low bid of $1,067,641 submitted by Blairsville-based Colditz Trucking to resurface about 12.7 miles of public roads in the next few months.
County Manager Mike Helton said the work should begin in April and that "the contract calls for it to be complete by June 30."
Helton said county officials have prioritized a list of roads that require major work or resurfacing throughout the county that is based on safety, traffic volume and the road's condition.
This first round of paving will include:
n Nearly 4 miles of Post Oak Road.
n Lakeview Drive between Cross Street and the Walker County line.
n Houston Valley Road from Sizemore Lane to the Whitfield County line.
n North Three Notch Road between Battlefield Parkway and U.S. Highway 41.
n Holcomb Road from the four-way stop at Poplar Springs Road to Boynton Drive.
n Pine Grove Road from Boynton Drive to Battlefield Parkway.
In addition, several shorter sections scheduled for resurfacing are:
n Childers Road from Lovingood Road to a concrete pavement joint.
n Washburn Lane from Stewart Road until its dead end.
n Cemetery Road from Wooten Road to the dead end.
n Corely Avenue from Page Road to the dead end.
n Chess Lane from Page Road until it dead ends.
This list will be adhered to as much as possible.
"Anything else will be dealt with on an emergency basis," he said.
A Georgia Department of Transportation Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant will provide most of the funding with the remainder being contributed from the county's SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) revenue.
A second round of projects is expected to be announced later this spring or early summer, that will also be scheduled for completion before cool weather makes for less than ideal conditions to properly pave busy roads.