Henry County’s largest transportation project is scheduled to start construction in 2026. The $125 million dollar project will widen Georgia 42 to four lanes between SR 138 in Stockbridge and the McDonough Square.
Preliminary engineering started in 2017 and is actively ongoing. The 7.33 mile long project is in environmental review and field survey work, according to the pre-construction status report available on Georgia DOT’s website. The project concept report was approved in June 2019. Final design plans and a value engineering study remain before the project can advance further.
Right of way acquisition is estimated to last three years starting in 2022. The project will have to purchase right of way from over three-hundred parcels along the seven mile route. The project also anticipates twenty displacements, including seven businesses and thirteen residences.
Once construction starts, it’s estimated to last four years to complete. Georgia DOT staff expressed at a town hall meeting in May that the project may be split into smaller segments for better scheduling and overall project management.
Cost estimates for the project, as of November 2019, include the following:
| Phase | Year | Cost Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping | 2015 | $569,017.15 |
| Preliminary Engineering | 2017 | $3,787,485.00 |
| Preliminary Engineering | 2020 | $400,000.00 |
| Preliminary Engineering | 2021 | $390,000.00 |
| Right of Way Acquisition | 2022 | $14,649,666.67 |
| Right of Way Acquisition | 2023 | $14,649,666.67 |
| Right of Way Acquisition | 2024 | $19,102,666.66 |
| Utilities | 2026 | $12,531,377.00 |
| Construction | 2026 | $61,547,893.24 |
| Total | $127,627,772.39 |
The project is being funded through the transportation funding act of 2015. This signature piece of legislation, also known as House Bill 170, raised the state gas tax and has doubled Georgia DOT’s annual budget for projects. Henry County is one of the biggest benefactors statewide from the additional funding with several major projects funded through the program.
Georgia DOT held an open house in January 2017 to display the project concept to the general public. Copies of the project display are available at the links below:
Image 1 (McDonough Square to McDonough Parkway)
Image 2 (Coffey Lane to Campground Road)
Image 3 (Campground Road to Eagles Landing Parkway)
Image 4 (Eagles Landing Parkway to SR 138)
This article was originally published in January 2019 when the project’s construction was delayed from 2023 to 2026. It has been updated in November 2019 to reflect the current status and cost estimate.
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