A groundbreaking ceremony was held recently by Georgia and Cherokee County officials on the first phase of Technology Ridge Parkway.
The one-half-mile project will provide a new corridor that will improve access from the Cherokee County Regional Airport to The Bluffs, “a location primed for corporate relocation,” according to a county statement on Facebook.
Low-bidder C.W. Matthews was awarded the $9 million construction contract by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners recently.
A portion of the funding comes from a $1 million grant, a $2.9 million loan from the State Road and Toll Authority’s Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) program and funding from Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) dollars.
The project will begin with a new roundabout on Bluffs Parkway and end with a new roundabout installed in the Heard Road/Fate Conn Road intersection.
Notice to proceed to the contractor is expected by the end of October, with estimated completion of phase one expected in 18 to 24 months.
SRTA Interim Executive Director Heather Aquino said GTIB has invested $182 million in projects across the state since its inception in 2010.
“You must compete to win GTIB awards, and I’d like to congratulate Cherokee County for receiving the largest grant and loan award in our most recent round of funding,” Aquino added.
Cherokee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Harry Johnston said, “It’s going to open up the biggest and most important economic development corridor that we’ve ever had. It will open up new front-door access to our airport.”
Canton Mayor Bill Grant said the project fits well in the city’s Roadmap to Success, a 15-year plan for Canton’s future, including the purchase of the remaining more than 300 acres in The Bluffs.
Information: facebook.com/CherokeeCountyGa, cherokeega.com
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