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Fayette County approves $3.125M grant application for roadway departure safety measures, using SPLOST interest as match
Summary
The Board authorized staff to apply for a $3.125 million roadway safety grant — including paved shoulders on Veterans Parkway and countermeasures on Lee’s Mill — and approved using interest from 2004 and 2017 SPLOST funds as the local match; the motion passed 5-0 at the May 13 retreat.
Public Works staff asked the Fayette County Board on May 13 to authorize a grant application for a $3.125 million project focused on roadway‑departure countermeasures, including paved shoulders on Veterans Parkway and targeted improvements on Lee’s Mill.
Transportation Engineer Paola Kimbell summarized the Vision Zero funding the county previously received and described a new funding opportunity due May 26 that could add paved shoulders and address high‑priority roadway departure locations. Kimbell told the Board that roadway departures were the county’s most frequent crash type and referenced two fatalities on Veterans Parkway in 2019.
Mr. Rapson and Mr. Mallon presented a local match plan using accumulated interest in older SPLOST accounts. Vice Chairman Edward Gibbons moved to authorize staff to apply for the grant using interest from the 2004 and 2017 SPLOST funds as the local match; Commissioner Charles D. Rousseau seconded. The motion passed 5-0.
The proposed total project budget is $3,125,000 with a requested local match of approximately $625,000 (split from interest in 2004 and 2017 SPLOST funds). Staff said the funds were already available in accumulated interest and that the Board needed to authorize the application before staff would submit it.
"We need the Board to authorize staff to submit the grant application because the County does not apply for grants without an identified funding source," Rapson said.
Board approval sends staff the direction to apply and to proceed with the specified local-match plan; final construction and allocation will depend on grant award and detailed design.
