Cherokee commissioners support widening Ga. 20

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners is taking a stance on planned improvements to Ga. 20 between Canton and Cumming, voting Tuesday night to send a letter to the Georgia Department of Transportation supporting the widening of Ga. 20 as the only alternative.

GDOT officials planning the project are considering two alternatives: either widening or building localized bypasses around several small communities. Ahrens said GDOT plans have shown one of the bypass alternatives passing through a part of the planned Veterans Park, which goes out for bid next week.

Ahrens said with the legislature passing a transportation funding bill, GDOT officials are working to prioritize projects. As it stands now, 80 percent of the Ga. 20 project would be federally funded. Ahrens said using state money on it instead could accelerate the construction schedule.