COVINGTON, Ga. – The intersection at the Covington Bypass and Flat Shoals Road will look drastically different at the end of 2019 after the Newton County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to award a contract to make improvements there.

Commissioners voted to award the contract for the project to low bidder Pittman Construction. According to an email from County Transportation Engineer Chester Clegg to County Manager Lloyd Kerr, the project will include installing a traffic signal at the heavily-traveled intersection along with left and right turn lanes in each direction.

Kerr told commissioners the $2,358,700 cost of the project will be paid using funds from the Federal Highway Administration and the county’s 2011 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. Kerr said the county will save $100,000 by managing the project.