Roads added to funding list

Columbia County commissioners gave the go ahead Tuesday night for a list of 33 county roads to be proposed to the state for resurfacing funding next year.

The roads are part of the county's 2007 Local Assistance Road Program list, which is presented to the Georgia Department of Transportation each year for consideration of funding in the coming year.

Of the 33 roads submitted by the county, 24 were on the 2006 LARP but didn't receive funding, so they were rolled over to next year.

Scott Herring, Columbia County's construction and maintenance director, said the county should find out which roads will receive state aid for resurfacing by the start of next year. He said roads receiving approval for funds could have work started within a couple of months beyond that.

The county's 2007 LARP list includes resurfacing projects that total 10.61 miles. Of that, 6.9 miles are roads that were on the 2006 list and have been continued over to next year, including such thoroughfares as Evans to Locks Road for about a mile from West Port Road to Furys Ferry Road, Farmington Circle for .77 mile from Farmington Drive West to Farmington Drive East and Nicoles Way for .72 mile from Lewiston Road to the road's cul de sac.

Among the list of new projects added just this year are Jones Creek for .73 mile from Evans to Locks Road to Hammonds Ferry Road, Pheasant Run Drive for .75 mile from Washington Road to Pheasant Run Drive and Spring Creek Road for .95 mile from Old Louisville Road to the road's dead end.

In other action at Tuesday night's commission meeting, board members also approved a request for approximately $4,800 for a car allowance for a deputy coroner. The funds will be taken from the county's contingency fund.

County commissioners also proclaimed September as Firefighter Appreciation Month and the week of Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week.