Sen. John Douglas recently began talks with state and federal Department of Transportation (DOT) officials in order to receive vital funds needed to repair the damage to Crowell Road in Newton County. A section of the essential access road to Interstate 20 at exit 88 was washed out in the recent flooding which devastated many communities in Georgia. Like many areas in Georgia that are facing significant budget shortfalls, Newton County was not able to foresee the need in this year’s budget for the type of funds needed to fix severe damages associated with this natural disaster.

"The immediate repair of Crowell Road is crucial for Newton County," said Sen. Douglas. "It is my hope that the Georgia Department of Transportation will examine shifting the necessary repair funds from the $17 million in stimulus money earmarked for the Hwy 142 widening project to the needs at Crowell Road."

Douglas has asked Georgia DOT officials to consider diverting some funds from the recently announced $17 million stimulus money being sent to Newton County to widen GA Hwy 142. Officials from FEMA, GEMA, the Federal Highway Administration, and Newton County have made official plans to visit the Crowell Rd site on Monday October 19, 2009 to discuss moving the funds to the Crowell Rd. repair project or whether it will be necessary to look for other sources of funding such as emergency relief funds.

"With that much money designated solely to widening a portion of Hwy 142, logic dictates that some of the funds can be made available for Crowell Rd with no impact on the original project," said Sen. Douglas. "Keeping that important access road to Interstate 20 indefinitely closed is unacceptable."