The final project list for the regional transportation penny sales tax, which voters will see on the ballot next year, was approved by the Atlanta Regional Roundtable on Thursday.

That list includes about $67.3 million for three Rockdale specific projects - the widening of the Sigman Road corridor, widening of Flat Shoals Road from Salem Road to Old Salem Road, and the creation of an overpass over I-20 near the Conyers Crossroads shopping center. Rockdale will also receive a portion of about $1 billion going back to local jurisdictions for transportation projects.

During last minute amendments among Atlanta Regional Roundtable members, a push to reinstate a Phase II widening of Parker Road, worth about $5 million, and to add bike lanes to the widening of Sigman Road, worth about $10 million, failed to get the support needed. The vote on the Rockdale amendments was early in the week and unfortunately became a guinea pig of sorts, said Conyers Mayor Randy Mills. Other counties realized, from watching the Rockdale amendments fail, more consultation would be needed to gain votes of support.

The 21-member Atlanta Regional Roundtable, made up of mayors and county chairs in the Atlanta region including Mayor Randy Mills and Chairman Richard Oden, gave the final vote on the list on Thursday, in time for the deadline to submit the list to the Georgia Department of Transportation by Saturday.

Over the past five months, the Roundtable's executive committee whittled down the initial unconstrained wish list from about $22.9 billion worth to the final list worth about $6.14 billion. Rockdale initially had about six projects on the unconstrained wish list. 

The 1 percent, 10 year sales tax, nicknamed TSPLOST, is estimated to collect about $7.2 billion in the 10 county Atlanta region. Of that, 85 percent ($6.14 billion) will be used on the project list and 15 percent ($1.08 billion) will go back to local jurisdictions through the Local Assistance Road Program (LARP).

The project list also included a transit project in DeKalb County extending transit connection, possibly rail, to Stonecrest Mall. The project is estimated to support about 11,700 weekday boardings when completed in 2025.