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Covington council calls meeting to discuss traffic studies proposal
Covington news

COVINGTON, Ga. — A special-called meeting for the city council to discuss a proposal for more traffic studies services and to enter into an executive session will be held Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m.

Council members will consider a proposal from Keck & Wood, Inc. to expand it’s traffic study services to include:

• Review of traffic studies conducted at Covington Town Center in 2016 and the Neely Farms Development in 2020; and a forthcoming traffic study for the Callaway Tract, located on City Pond Road.

• Roadway analysis of City Pond Road, Covington Bypass and Turner Lake Road, where engineers will evaluate the existing condition of these thoroughfares and help determine what changes (if any) are needed to best serve the areas as new developments are welcomed.

In total, services of Keck & Wood Inc. could cost the city up to $31,000 based on the proposed fee schedule. Without “concept level recommendations” for City Pond Road, Covington Bypass and Turner Lake Road, the cost would be only $22,000.

Keck & Wood, Inc. has already been contracted to conduct a traffic analysis and parking study of the downtown area for approximately $100,000, which affects the Square and various streets leading into the Square. Results of the study are expected be presented in the coming weeks.

During its Oct. 18 meeting, the council discussed approving a resolution to give Covington Planning and Development Director Tres Thomas, who is also the city’s chief engineer, the authorization to execute change orders to a contract the city’s contract with Keck & Wood Inc. to potentially include traffic studies of additional roadways and other related services where future developments may occur.

Thomas suggested studies at City Pond Road, Covington Bypass and Turner Lake Road because he considered them to be “roads of concern.”

“Not so much City Pond Road now, but it will be heavily traveled,” he said. “We have a lot of development going over there as you know with Covington Town Center and other things. Turner Lake Road, you know, is very busy. We’ve got additional development that will be coming in over there. And then, of course, the Bypass is, needless to say, we need some help over there.”

After brief discussion, the council ultimately decided to table the issue and wait until cost proposals were received before considering allowing Thomas authorization to execute change orders.

In other business, the council intends to enter into executive session during Wednesday’s special-called meeting to discuss “land opportunities, potential litigation, and personnel matters.”