Catoosa County approves funding for 13 miles of roadwork

RINGGOLD, Ga. - The Catoosa County Commission approved funding for five road projects during a special called meeting Tuesday.

Commissioner Jeff Long listens during a Catoosa County Commission meeting Tuesday, April 4, 2017, in Ringgold, Ga.

The county will spend about $800,000 to repair and resurface Boynton Drive, Reeds Bridge Road, Cherokee Valley Road, Page Road and Greens Lake Road. The county's expense, funded with sales tax revenue, is only about a quarter of the total cost. The rest of the money - about $2.2 million - comes from the federal government in the form of a Transportation Improvement Program grant.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is administering the grant, which runs on a three-year cycle. In 2014, Catoosa County Public Works Director D.E. "Buster" Brown said, the local government applied for the funding. It had until this November to finish any projects.

Catoosa County Manager Jim Walker

After receiving approval for the grant, Brown said, he and other county officials tried to determine which roads needed work the most. The grant also applies only to certain roads, such as those in urbanized areas of the county. The transportation department has since approved a bidder to do the work: Talley Construction, which said it could do the necessary work for about $3 million.

All told, the company will pave 13.16 miles on those five roads.

County Manager Jim Walker said the commissioners could have waited to vote on the issue during their meeting next Tuesday. But with the November deadline looming, they wanted to move the process along sooner.

County Commissioner Jeff Long said the transportation department will still need to "work through" the contract before Talley Construction actually starts. That could take a couple more weeks.

"The longer we wait," Commission Chairman Steven Henry said, "the more it costs us. With all the rain we're having, if they want to ever get done by November, they need to hurry."

"We just didn't want the holdup to be on our end," Walker said.

If they don't get the project done by November, Brown said, the county could petition the department of transportation for a deadline. He's not sure whether state officials would approve the request.

Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at 423-757-6476 or tjett@times freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @LetsJett.