The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) board has approved $165 million in new federal funds for transportation projects in the Atlanta area. This includes $6.89 million in new funds for Henry County.
New Funds for Henry County
Henry County sought federal funding in March 2024 for various road projects. This was through the TIP project solicitation. It’s an open call held every 2-3 years for local counties to apply for federal transportation funds. Following the 2024 solicitation, the county will receive funds towards three projects. The city of Hampton also applied for and will receive funds.
The following projects will receive funding:
- Jonesboro Road resurfacing, between I-75 and McDonough,
- State Route 42 widening, between SR 155 and Locust Grove (scoping funding),
- Camp Creek Greenway Trail, from Henry County Admin Building to McDonough Square (engineering / design funding), and
- West King Connector Overpass, a pedestrian bridge over SR 20 in Hampton.
Two other county applications, Oak Grove Road widening and Eagles Landing Parkway resurfacing, were not selected to receive funds.
TIP Solicitation 2024 Results
On December 30, 2024, the ARC released the 2024 TIP Solicitation Results. They have selected three Henry County projects. Specifically, ARC is recommending the following funding:
The Jonesboro Road resurfacing project extends from I-75 to Rosebud Lane. This will resurface the four-lane section from the interstate to the Doris Street roundabout. It is a joint project between Henry County and McDonough.
Some may wonder “what is scoping?” on the highway 42 project. Scoping is a term used by Georgia DOT for concept development. This consists of studying a corridor to identify the preferred plan for future improvements. It is the preliminary work before engineering and design can start.
The Camp Creek Greenway Trail is part of the Henry County Trails plan. The county adopted its trails plan in 2022. It recommends a new trail from the county offices to downtown McDonough. More info about the trails plan is on the county website. Select the “trails planning” tab.
West King Connector, Hampton
Lastly, Hampton is set to receive funding. They nominated the West King Connector Overpass for funding consideration. This will be a pedestrian bridge over State Route 20. The city will receive about $640 thousand in federal funds for design. Hampton must contribute a local match of $160 thousand. The total design budget is then $800 thousand. The design funding is immediate, fiscal year 2025. Other costs, such as right of way and construction, have an estimate of $9.4 million. There is no federal funding allocated as of now towards these phases.
Public Comments
The ARC accepted public comments in January about the new funding. They received eight comments, including three comments in support of Henry County projects. A full overview of the new federal funding for the Atlanta region as a whole is on the ARC website.
Featured image shows Jonesboro Road at Foster Drive, east of I-75. Georgia DOT photo.
