US: The U.S. 129 Athens Highway widening project in East Hall could go out for bids later this year, with work starting next spring. The Georgia Department of Transportation hopes to award the project to a contractor in December, district spokeswoman Teri Pope said. But the agency “needs federal gas tax funds to build this project,” she said.
The federal Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015, signed by President Barrack Obama on May 29, provides funding only through July The short-term funding law has created uncertainty within DOT.“We are preparing for July lettings and tentatively for August,” DOT spokeswoman Natalie Dale said last week. At nearly $40 million, the U.S. 129 widening project would likely be Hall County’s next big road project. All but five of the 205 parcels of land needed to widen the road have been bought, Pope said. The work calls for widening U.S. 129 from Ga. 323.Galesville Highway to the Pendergrass Bypass, a 6.7-mile stretch. U.S. 129, which eventually connects to Interstate 85, is considered a crucial link between Gainesville and Athens.
