Dear Editor,
Some five weeks ago, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) opened the bids for the first phase of the Hwy 44 widening project. This phase is for the northernmost 2.4 miles in Greene County and the bids came in at around $30 million, or about $13 million per mile.
These bids were 25% higher than expected. The Phase 2 bids, which is the rest of Hwy 44 in Greene County, are scheduled to be opened on Dec. 15, 2026, a year-and-a-half from now, with an unknown completion date, though based on previous similar projects could very well be completed post-2030.
Based on the Phase 1 bids, the total cost of the entire 11 miles could now exceed $230 million vs. the original $184 million estimate. An obvious question is, does GDOT have sufficient funds for the Putnam County phase or does this phase — once again — get delayed until more funds become available?
Of bigger concern to me right now is any delay in the Hwy 44 widening project will only serve to compound the ever-increasing traffic congestion in the Harmony Road, Hwy. 44, Old Phoenix Road area. An obvious question is, what is the Putnam County Board of Commissioners doing to proactively attempt to mitigate this growing congestion issue on impacted county roads?
Back in April, a motion to fund an engineering study, just to determine the feasibility and cost of adding a third, center-turning lane to Harmony Road was approved, but no results to date. This is not a good look as far as I am concerned because that cost data could be used to help justify the addition of “Roads” money into the SPLOST No. 10 referendum initiative, which presently contains no money for “Roads.”
Billy Webster Putnam County