Lowndes County supervisors on Thursday approved seeking bids for a $5 million road work program that will improve more than 50 county roads.
The program includes overlay portions of 48 roads across the county, as well as resealing portions of East Nashville Ferry Road, Hairston Bend and Gilmer Wilburn Road and surface treatment for Frisco Road and Felix Lane.
Supervisors will borrow the money to fund the project, which the county expects to repay in no more than five years with internet sales tax money.
“Per legislation diverting internet sales tax back to counties, we received a payment of $392,000 for the first half of this year,” County Administrator Jay Fisher said. “We expect our next payment any day now.”
By the time the county begins receiving its full allotment of internet sales tax funds in 2023, the annual amount should exceed $1 million, according to current estimates.
Road Manager Ronnie Burns told supervisors he expects bids to be returned over the next 30 days. Work should begin soon after supervisors select a contractor, and the program should be complete by the time the next road plan is presented in February, weather permitting.
“It will give us a big boost in improving some of the county’s most traveled roads,” Burns said after the meeting. “This is one of the biggest plans we’ve had in a while. It won’t get done overnight.”
Burns said the program will affect 58 total miles of road.
“This gives us an opportunity to implement improvements that all will enjoy,” board president Trip Hairston said later. “The real thing is that we have to use this money solely for infrastructure projects, and doing it all at one time rather than piecemeal avoids us having to deal with price increases that come along.”
Also on Thursday, supervisors appointed Richard Morgan as a county representative on the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau board. He will fill the remainder of Steve Wallace’s unexpired term through February 2022. Wallace passed away earlier this year.
Morgan is a retired United Parcel Service driver and serves as pastor of a church in Noxubee County. He was the only applicant for supervisors-appointed vacancy.
CVB’s board has nine members. Four each are appointed by the supervisors and Columbus City Council. One is a joint appointee.
In other business, Tax Collector/Assessor Greg Andrews set the public hearing for assessed real and personal property tax values for 9:30 a.m. Sept. 7 at the courthouse.
ROADS TO RECEIVE OVERLAY
Caledonia-Vernon Road
Stevens Road
Steens Road (Hwy 12 to Gunshoot Road)
Stanley Road (AQ Stanley – Border Springs)
Perkins Road
North Ridge Road
Alomar Road
Autumn Trail
Stinson Creek Road
Barton Ferry Road
Harris Road
Timbers
Kelly Lane
Land Road
Golding Road
E Minnie Vaughn
Belle Circle (½)
Windchase
Wind Path
Owens Drive
Spurlock (far end)
Abner Nash Lane
Sobley Camp Road
Riverside Drive
Riverview Drive
August Landing
River Lane
Hughes Road
Tiffany Lane
Morton Drive
Shane Circle
Concourse Road
Landing Drive
Stokes Road (city)
Martin Luther King
Sugar Hill
Harvey Gray
McGee Road
Clark Road
Mt. Ariery
Access Road
Taylor Thurston (Frontage to Steger)
Obama Street
Old West Point Road
W. Plymouth (East end)
W. Plymouth (West end)
Washington Street
Lehmberg Street
RESEAL
E. Nashville Ferry
E. Nashville Ferry Road
Hairston Bend
Gilmer Wilburn Rd (Ray Harris to Hardy Billups)
Gilmer Wilburn Rd (Ray Harris to Hardy Billups – ½)
DOUBLE BITUMINOUS SURFACE TREATMENT
Frisco Road
Felix Lane
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