SPLOST update: road resurfacings, bridges, parks and fire stations moving forward
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Summary
County staff told commissioners on June 17 that SPLOST 1 and SPLOST 2 remain on an active construction and planning schedule, citing a $21 million resurfacing contract, bridge repairs including Cedar Grove Road, park renovations, fire-station projects and sidewalk/trail work across the county.
County staff gave a comprehensive status update June 17 on Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax programs (SPLOST 1 and SPLOST 2), outlining work under way on roads, bridges, parks and public-safety facilities.
Chris Kingsbury, the county’s SPLOST presenter, said SPLOST 1 has approximately $453 million in collections to date and that boards previously authorized about $400 million of expenditures. He noted the program is currently completing a series of contracts that include a $21 million resurfacing contract covering the first 300 miles of roads; that contract began this past November and will continue into November 2025.
Kingsbury highlighted several major projects: renovation of the Judicial Center parking deck (roughly $12 million, about $8 million spent so far), the Cedar Grove Road bridge replacement (a multi‑year project with complex utility relocations and a target to reopen next year), a carbon-fiber reinforcement at a small bridge near the former North DeKalb Mall/Lula Hills, and multiple park renovations including Midway Park concession and restroom upgrades and new turf at several athletic complexes.
On public-safety facilities, Kingsbury said Station 5 (Tucker) and Station 27 (eastern county) are moving into final permitting and are budgeted in the $8–10 million range each. He also reported planned renovations to three older stations built in the 1970s to address plumbing and living‑quarter issues (estimated $5–7 million for the set).
Sidewalks and trails: Kingsbury said SPLOST crews are advancing several sidewalk and trail projects, including a Glenwood sidewalks project (about three miles, roughly $5 million) and trail connections such as Medlock to Lula Hills and links near the Donzie (Oldcastle) landfill and South River. He said a mix of SPLOST, partner contributions (private) and state funding will be used on different trail and TOD projects.
Why it matters: SPLOST dollars finance visible local infrastructure — road safety, drainage, parks, pools and fire coverage — and commissioners used the update to press for timing and transparency on project prioritization. Several commissioners asked specifically about Pleasantdale Park design timing, Lucious Sanders Recreation Center construction and the pipeline for sidewalk gap projects.
Commissioner concerns and staff responses: Commissioners asked whether shifting CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) shortfalls would require additional SPLOST funds for projects such as Lucious Sanders Recreation Center. Staff said design is complete for that center and that SPLOST cover would be requested if CDBG funds were not available; any additional allocation would return for board approval. Staff also described ongoing right-of-way work, ADA and permitting steps required for several sidewalk projects.
What’s next: Staff said they will continue to post mapping and contract updates online, finalize right-of-way for major sidewalk projects this summer, and proceed with bids and construction where permitting is complete. Commissioners asked for continued updates and clarified process steps for projects exceeding $3 million to ensure proper committee review prior to full-board approvals.
