Turnout At U.S. 441 GDOT Open House Sessions Shows Strong Concern

A total of 269 people attended the two Open House meetings the Georgia Department of Transportation held in the last two weeks on the widening of U.S. 441 and the bypass of Bishop, including 195 at the Open House last week at Oconee Veterans Park.

Attendees at both sessions got a chance to view maps showing the widening plans for the highway from the bypass in Madison to just south of Bishop and from just north of Bishop to the Watkinsville bypass and the truck bypass on the eastern side of Bishop.

No formal presentation was made, but attendees were given a chance to talk with representatives of GDOT and its consultants and to fill out a comment sheet asking them if they supported the project.

Greg McGarity, director of Athletics at the University of Georgia, last week restated his opposition to the proposed bypass of Bishop, which will border the university’s Equestrian Facility on Astondale Road.

McGarity said it does not appear that the bypass meets the needs of all interested parties and GDOT should not move further on the project until “a stronger consensus can be reached.”

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners Tuesday night will take up another road project that has created challenges in the past because of its potential impact on wetlands that form the headwaters of Calls Creek, just outside Watkinsville.

The Board is being asked to approve an Intergovernmental Agreement with the University of North Georgia through which the county would agree to extend Bishop Farms Parkway from its current terminus at the university campus to New High Shoals Road.

The University would contributed $200,000 to the unspecified costs of the project.

For more on the story, and a short video of the March 19 Open House, please go to Oconee County Observations.