The Sigman Road Widening Project has officially been added to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s statewide transportation improvement plan. 

“This puts us in a good position,” Miguel Valentin, director of the Rockdale Department of Transportation said to the Rockdale County SPLOST Oversight Committee during their Monday evening meeting. “Once they (GDOT) do the next bulk of projects, which is scheduled to happen November, we’ll be in line to have this project be funded at a substantial level by the state and federal government.”

Valentin says he isn’t sure exactly how much money will be assigned to the project from GDOT, but the funding provided from will help complete Phase II of the widening project, which will widen Sigman Road between Lester Road and Irwin Bridge.

Phase II of the project will cost about $8.5 million. 

“As all of you know from a planning and economic development standpoint, we have focused on Sigman Road, from I-20 to I-20, being extremely important to this community as we move forward,” said Michael Houchard, chairman of the Rockdale County Transportation Sub-Committee. “It’s an expensive project. A very expensive project to four-lane Sigman Road from I-20 to I-20.”

The Sigman Road Widening Project is an effort by the county and City of Conyers to transform Sigman Road from a two-lane road to a four-lane road. The overall project can be broken down into four phases.

The first phase was completed in 1990s and widened the road from the Sigman Road/I-20 interchange, exit 78, to Lester Road, says Valentin. Phase III will focus on Sigman Road from Irwin Bridge to Ga. Highway 138, and then the final phase will stretch towards Dogwood Connector. 

Rockdale County Board Chairman and CEO Richard Oden received the congratulatory letter from GDOT Monday. Oden says he and Valentin will meet with Conyers Mayor Randy Mills Tuesday, Oct. 28, to inform them because “they are our collaborative partners in this process.”