Regional Transportation Group Moves Up Oconee Connector Flyover And Eliminates Daniells Bridge Road Flyover In Documents

A Committee of the area regional transportation body last week added $19.2 million to its 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan at the request of the Georgia Department of Transportation to cover a range of projects, including several in Oconee County.

To accommodate the addition of the projects, the Committee eliminated the controversial Daniells Bridge Road Extension and flyover of SR Loop 10 from that same Long Range Plan, meaning it is no longer a part of the active projects in the Long Range Transportation Plan.

The action by the Technical Coordinating Committee of the Madison Athens Clarke Oconee Regional Transportation Study (MACORTS) is preliminary and must be approved by the MACORTS Policy Committee and be opened up for public comment before the Long Range Plan is modified.

The GDOT requested projects requiring modification of the Long Range Plan include money for a flyover of Dials Mill Road Extension of SR 316, for improvements to the SR 316 interchange with SR Loop 10, and for improvements to the Clotfelter Road Bridge at Barber Creek.

The Technical Coordinating Committee also gave its approval to GDOT requested changes to the 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program to include $18 million in funding for a flyover of the Oconee Connector of SR 316 and $25.2 million for the four-laning of Jimmy Daniell Road from the Atlanta Highway to Mars Hill Road.

For more on the story and a video of the MACORTS meeting, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Sherry McDuffie.