COVINGTON, Ga. — Using the remainder of 2011 SPLOST funds, the city of Covington has elected to pave 11 streets as part of a Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) project.
During its regular meeting Jan. 4, the Covington City Council unanimously approved the estimated $546,394.72 project. According to City Manager Scott Andrews, the Georgia Department of Transportation will contribute $168,968.32, leaving the city of Covington to pay the remaining $377,426.40. A 10% contingency was included to cover “any unforeseen issue that may arise during the paving process.”
Streets included in the project are:
• Town Branch Court, from Monticello Street to the road’s end.
• Bethlehem Way, from Usher Street to Clark Street.
• Sockwell Avenue, from Floyd Street to the road’s end.
• Turner Street, from Alcovy Road to the railroad tracks.
• Griffin Lane, from Morris Drive to the road’s end.
• Malcom Drive, from Corrydell Parkway to Whispering Pines Circle.
• Whispering Pines Circle, from Malcom Drive to the road’s end.
• Malcom Court, from Malcom Drive to Malcom Drive.
• Corrydell Parkway, from Eagle Drive to the road’s end.
• South Emory Street, from Washington Street to Reynolds Street and from Reynolds Street to Ivy Street.
• McClure Street, from Leverett Circle to Malcom Drive.
All streets included will be milled and resurfaced.
Councilman Kenneth Morgan asked why Floyd Street and Newton Drive weren’t featured in the project.
Public Works Director Kevin Sorrow said the two roads were on the department’s list and upcoming, but after completing a cost estimate, his department determined it was a “substantial” project that would “far exceed” money left available in the 2011 SPLOST being used to pay for LMIG.
“Based on numbers we’ve got and used for last LMIG project, it’d be approximately $1 million to pave that street,” he said.
Sorrow also mentioned previous discussions with city leaders about installing a new water line along Floyd Street. He said it would be best to complete that project before trying to mill and resurface the road.
“Because we sure don’t want to come in, spend that kind of money on asphalt, and then come back and have to put new water lines in,” Sorrow said.
An estimated start date for paving was not disclosed as the GDOT application process had yet to be completed and the bidding process had not begun.
Mayor Steve Horton then suggested Sorrow and his department should work toward compiling a tentative list of city streets that are being looked at for resurfacing and include a timeline for when each street could potentially be completed for the public, pending financing.
“It might help people have some understanding of what’s going on and when something might happen versus not knowing at all,” Horton said.
