TSPLOST: Paving the way for road projects

May 8—VALDOSTA — A major choice facing South Georgia voters in the general primary election May 21 doesn't involve candidates or elected offices; it involves spending millions of dollars on transportation.

TSPLOST — Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, also known as the Transportation Investment Act — is a means for the electorate to enact a regional sales tax for transportation projects. It involves a 1% tax over 10 years.

The counties involved in the May 21 TSPLOST vote are Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner and Ware.

The current TSPLOST program began in South Georgia in October 2018 after a majority of voters in the 18-county Southern Georgia region passed a referendum to start collecting the tax.

Rather than add another tax, the TSPLOST being voted on May 21 would replace the current program, said Amy Martin, director of transportation for the Southern Georgia Regional Commission.

"TSPLOST is very important for our region," she said. "We've been able to see projects that would normally take 15-20 years fast-tracked thanks to TSPLOST."

Hundreds of transportation projects, from road paving to major construction efforts, are listed on the commission's investment list for the new TSPLOST project. These projects are slated to take place between 2027 and 2036.

Road resurfacing shows up on the project list more than anything else, Martin said.

"Often 10 or 12 roads will be bundled together into one 'batch' for a resurfacing project," she said. "Lowndes County has three batches of resurfacing work."

Projected TSPLOST money, together with Georgia Department of Transportation funds, put a value of $669 million on all of the projects for the 18-county area.

The following list shows notable projects on the TSPOST list around the Tifton and Valdosta areas. The phrase "Total Project Cost" includes TSPLOST taxes and contributions, if any, by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

TIFT COUNTY

— Carpenter Road South widening, grading, base and pavement improvements. Total project cost: $25.4 million.

— King Road widening, grading, drainage, base and pavement improvements. Total project cost: $8.3 million.

— Kent Road widening, grading, drainage, base and pavement improvements. Total project cost: $5 million.

LOWNDES COUNTY

— Work on I-75 interchange at Ga. 133. Total project cost: $41 million.

— Val Del Road widening. Total project cost: $25 million.

— Park Avenue Road widening and intersection improvements. Total project cost: $23.5 million.

BERRIEN COUNTY

— Mussellwhite Store Road street and drainage improvements. Total project cost: $4.1 million.

— Sidewalk improvements for a number of streets in Nashville, including Davis Street, Smith Avenue, Edgewood Street, McPherson Avenue, Jefferson Street, Washington Street, Taylor Street and Marion Street. Total project cost: $2.1 million.

— Fire Tower Road drain, base and paving. Total project cost: $3.5 million.

COOK COUNTY

— Interchange work at intersection of I-75 and CR 246/Kinard Bridge Road. Total project cost: $51.5 million.

— Intersection improvement at West Fourth Street and Elm Street. Total project cost: $6 million.

— Working on a roundabout at US 41/SR 7 and Old Quitman Road intersection. Total project cost: $3.7 million.

ECHOLS COUNTY

— J. Frank Culpepper Road resurfacing. Total project cost: $1.5 million.

— Bethel Church Road resurfacing. Total project cost: $1.2 million.

— Work on SR 94 and SR 135 intersection west of Statenville. Total project cost:$4 million.

LANIER COUNTY

— Teeterville Road resurfacing. Total project cost: $2.7 million.

— Resurfacing for several roads, including Ivey Road, Baskins Road and Poplar Springs. Total project cost: $2 million.

— Resurfacing for a number of roads in Lakeland, including Teeterville Road, West Linda Street, Jackson Avenue, South 10th Street, East Bostick Avenue, North Lakeshore Drive, South Lakeshore Drive and Temple Street. Total project cost: $1.3 million.

BROOKS COUNTY

— Improvements at intersection of Ga. 122 and Ga. 333. Total project cost: $4 million.

— Ferris Road paving and drainage improvements. Total project cost: $3.8 million.

— Hodges Road paving and drainage improvements. Total project cost: $2.5 million.

For a full list of projects, go to https://www.sgrc.us/southern-georgia-tia.html and click on "Southern Georgia Final Investment Report — 2024 Renewal."

Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.