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The Georgia Department of Transportation announces construction is scheduled to begin Monday, July 20 on the first highway project funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in Northeast Georgia.

State Route (SR) 356 will be resurfaced and its shoulders will be widened by 2 feet in the 10.83 mile portion from the intersection with SR 17/75 in Batesville to SR 197 in Unicoi. Work will occur weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.. Flaggers will stop traffic and then pilot vehicles will lead motorists through the work zone as weather permits. Work will begin in Batesville in Habersham County and move towards Unicoi in White County.

The estimated construction cost is $1.7 million. C W Matthews Contracting, Inc of Marietta is the contractor.

An additional $9.6 million in 9 additional Northeast Georgia stimulus projects have been granted their “notice to proceed” and construction will begin this summer.

• Resurfacing of 12.03 miles of SR 164 from SR 51 to SR 59 in Banks County
• Resurfacing of 6.8 miles of SR 53 from the Pickens County Line to SR 183 in Dawson County
• Resurfacing of 9.8 miles of SR 9 from the Fulton County Line to SR 20 in Forsyth County
• Resurfacing of 9.9 miles of SR 51 from SR 59 to Hale Crossing Road in Franklin County
• Resurfacing of 4.2 miles of SR 384 from SR 365 to the Chattahoochee River in Habersham County
• Resurfacing of 9.3 miles of SR 283 from SR 60 to SR 52 in Hall County
• Resurfacing of US 129/SR11 from SR 323 to Monroe Drive in Hall County
• Resurfacing of SR 98 from US 29/SR 8 to SR 72 in Madison County
• Resurfacing of SR 75 from SR 2 to the North Carolina State Line in Towns County

Georgia DOT is responsible for 70 percent of Georgia’s $932 million in highway system ARRA funds.  The remaining 30 percent is divided among the state’s 15 Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and designated rural areas.  The MPOs, in conjunction with the Department, are funding projects from these respective allocations.  The state also received $144 million in stimulus funds for public transit and Georgia DOT has awarded related local grants totaling approximately $39 million.  Georgia is eligible for additional highway, rail and aviation grants from funds totaling $12.1 billion.

The ARRA is a national effort to create jobs and transform America’s economy to compete in the 21st century.  Nationwide, some $48 billion in stimulus investments are being made in transportation infrastructure, including highways, public transit, high speed rail and aviation.  Georgia DOT has created a Web page (www.dot.ga.gov/gastimulus) devoted to stimulus activities to provide specific program information and promote transparency of the process.

All selected ARRA stimulus projects are fully funded by the federal government; no state or local matching funds are required.

Georgia DOT costs estimates are projections of the possible total cost of a project to the Department.  Estimates are tentative and preliminary.  They include, but are not limited to, items such as contingencies, possible costs associated with utility conflicts, project inspections, testing and engineering.  These are potential costs to the Department, not to a project’s contractor; thus, they will not be reflected in contractor bids. 

For information on the Georgia DOT, visitwww.dot.ga.gov

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