Some GDOT Projects Delayed Due to Federal Funding

Projects from Franklin and Habersham counties are among those affected by an announcement from the Georgia Department of Transportation that it is delaying a number of projects due to federal funding uncertainty.

Last week, the Georgia DOT announced that the agency is unable to release federally-funded projects for bids in December due to federal funding uncertainty.

The 34 delayed projects, valued at $123 million, were previously scheduled to go out for bids during that month.

According to the DOT, repeated shortfalls in the Federal Highway Trust Fund account have led to a series of brief funding extensions.

DOT officials say that the latest patch by Congress, which is the 34th short-term transportation funding extension since 2009 and the third one in 10 months, extends the federal government’s authority to process aid payments to states through this Thursday.

However, Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry says that if Congress does not reach a new agreement by Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation will cut off payments for infrastructure projects to states and local governments in November.

Among the projects affected are Phase Two of the Downtown Lavonia Streetscape Project and bridge preservation along various state routes in Habersham County.

McMurry says it has been ten years since Congress has been able to pass a transportation funding bill of more than a two-year duration.

He adds that temporary fixes do not create the certainty state DOTs require in order to plan major transportation projects.