Stimulus funds to pay for road jobs

The federal government is about to pay for some Georgia asphalt —- and Georgia jobs.

The state Transportation Board on Thursday scheduled $23.5 million worth of federal stimulus projects for bidding next month, marking the first time stimulus dollars will turn into pavement in Georgia. The projects include a few in metro Atlanta such as repaving in Cherokee, Clayton and Fulton counties.

“This is a good day … an important day,” Board Chairman Bill Kuhlke said in a statement. “Very soon now, contractors across the state will begin putting Georgians back to work.”

Gov. Sonny Perdue still has to give his thumbs up. Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley said DOT had done a good job assembling the list, but Perdue had asked to see the backup data they used before giving his stamp of approval.

Maintenance and paving projects dominate the list. Federal guidelines require projects to be “shovel-ready,” and those types of projects are faster to prepare. The idea of the stimulus is primarily to create jobs and get money into the economy fast, not necessarily to relieve congestion, one of metro Atlanta’s needs.

Department of Transportation spokeswoman Crystal Paulk-Buchanan said the state doesn’t know yet how many jobs these projects will produce. She said one estimate showed the entire transportation stimulus, $1.1 billion, for Georgia could generate as many as 35,000 jobs.

PUTTING THE STIMULUS ON THE STREET

If Gov. Sonny Perdue gives his OK, this metro Atlanta-area work will be among the first stimulus projects for Georgia roads. The costs are only estimates until bids come in. Bidding is scheduled for April.

CHEROKEE COUNTY

> Repaving Ga. 140 (Hickory Flat Highway, other names) from west of I-575 to Fulton County line —- $3.9 million

CLAYTON COUNTY

> Repaving Ga. 3 from I-285 to Cleveland Avenue —- $1.3 million

FULTON COUNTY

> Repaving Ga. 139 from West Whitehall Street to Cascade Avenue —- $643,500

> Repaving Fairburn Highway from Roosevelt Highway to South Fulton Parkway —- $643,528

On the Web

To see Georgia’s proposed projects for Phase I, go to www.dot.ga.gov/gastimulus.