Council approves engineering master agreement, task order for Lower Fayetteville Road design despite cost concerns

Newman City Council on May 20 approved a seven-year engineering services master agreement with Heath & Lineback and a related task order to design improvements to Lower Fayetteville Road, moving the project from concept to the design phase.

The council voted 5–2 to adopt the master services agreement authorizing the selected firm to perform engineering work over the agreement term. After discussion about cost and timing, the council then approved task order No. 1, which accepts $9,000,000 in federal aid for the design phase and confirms a required 20% local match of $1,800,000; that vote was 6–1.

The task order covers design documents, environmental reviews and right-of-way work for the stretch from Greason Trail past Lower Smith Road. City staff said the $9 million covers the design phase only and that the full construction cost could be substantially higher; staff estimated earlier full-build numbers in the range of $131,000,000 but said the city expects to phase construction and that the Federal Highway Administration (via GDOT) would cover roughly 80% of construction costs.

“Part of my concern is … we’re looking at $9,000,000 in today’s numbers,” one councilmember said, asking how inflation would affect the local share when construction begins years from now. City staff responded that the $9 million figure applies to the design phase and “will not change” for the duration of that phase, and that construction sequencing would be phased to limit immediate local exposure. Staff said right-of-way acquisition could take about two years and that the ARC is tracking a start of construction in 2031.

City staff also noted that Lower Fayetteville Road crosses Coweta County and that the local match would be shared pro rata with the county under an intergovernmental agreement. Staff said the city previously committed to a project framework agreement with GDOT, which complicates withdrawing from the process.

Council discussion centered on scope and timing: several members asked whether a four-lane build is needed or if a reduced scope (three lanes or other alternatives) might be more cost-effective; staff said the design will allow the council to confirm or alter scope during subsequent phases.

The agreement and task order authorize staff to proceed with design work and right-of-way activities; council members who voted against the measures cited long-term cost uncertainty and the scale of eventual construction expenditures.

The city will return with task-order details and timeline milestones as design work proceeds.