By Rebekah Martin
Associate Editor
The Opelika City Council unanimously voted to award a bid to Chris Clark Grading and Paving of Lanett for the construction of the Bush Road Project Tuesday. In total, the project will cost $763,943.65 to complete.
This project will provide the T.K. Davis Justice Center parking lot access to a traffic signal controlled intersection, as well as build a road that will connect the justice center to other buildings and businesses along Corporate Drive.
“Once we create the signalized access, the other access they are using will be closed. So, if you’re going to go out on (Highway) 280 from the justice center parking lot, you will have to go through this traffic signal,” said Scott Parker, city engineer.
“If you look at the numbers, there are 28,000 cars a day that go up and down 280 and Gateway Drive … it does get very difficult to access the road, especially to turn left.”
The city is sharing the costs of this project with Lee County and Bush Properties, Inc. of Newnan, Ga., the company that owns a building and a section of land in the area that will be used for the access road. According to the resolution approved at Tuesdays meeting, the county and Bush Properties will reimburse the city $339,170. The total cost to the city after reimbursement will be $424,773.65.
“I think it’s important to note that this is a cooperative project with Lee County and the private individual and the city of Opelika. That was a really big deal,” Parker said. “We’re all sharing the cost, and I think we’re all going to benefit from it.”
Parker said the engineering department is anticipating construction to begin at the end of the month and will take approximately six months.“We’re looking at the end of spring or the beginning of summer before it is completed.”