Augusta transportation sales tax list continues to grow

Augusta’s evolving wish list for the next Transportation Investment Act sales tax included some $739 million in projects Wednesday and continues to grow.

The list, which must be sent to a regional round-table by the end of June, is what the regional 1 percent sales tax will fund between 2023 and 2033 if voters approve renewing the tax next year. The 13-county Central Savannah River Area district was one of just three in the state to first adopt the 10-year tax program in 2012.

The current list is likely to be culled as city Engineering Director Hameed Malik said the tax is projected to raise $508 million over 10 years to spend on specified projects. One-fourth of collections is returned to the counties to use at their discretion on transportation projects.

City commissioners and other officials brought other projects to a Wednesday meeting held to discuss the list and Malik said they will be added.

Mayor Hardie Davis, who with Commissioner Sammie Sias represents Augusta on the regional panel, said the list needs as many named projects as possible and encouraged Augusta Regional Airport Director Herbert Judon and other city officials to bring them in. Airport projects currently on the list include parking and apron expansion as well as a runway rehabilitation.

Cal Wray, executive director of Augusta Economic Development Authority, said Augusta Corporate Park needs construction of a rail spur in a 12-month time-frame, before the funding will be collected, and asked for TIA to reimburse its cost. Davis said the project is estimated at around $10 million.

The TIA is broken into three bands of three and four years each. Several projects emerged on “Band 1” in the list to be started first.

Band 1 includes TIA 1 projects that need additional funding, projects already under design or those ready to go, Malik said.

The Band 1 projects listed Wednesday included a $4.5 million repair and restoration of the 15th Street bridge over the CSX rail line, a $6.1 million two-phase repair and restoration of the Broad Street bridge over Rae’s Creek by Lake Olmstead, $4.8 million to resurface Fulcher Road and $7 million in improvements on Highland Avenue between Wrightsboro Road and Gordon Highway.

Band 1 also listed $42.6 million for the continuation of Broad Street upgrades between Washington and Sand Bar Ferry roads. The first TIA budgeted $25 million for Broad included a streetscape overhaul and on-street parking improvements.

Nine projects on the list exceed $30 million. The costliest is a $66 million widening and improvement of Willis Foreman Road. Walton Way improvements between Highland and 15th are budgeted at $39 million and Central Avenue is allocated $36.4 million for improvements between 15th and Highland. Augusta Public Transit operations and maintenance is budgeted $30 million.

Commissioner Bobby Williams said Wednesday he wants to add several roads including Meadowbrook Drive improvements, upgrades to Glenn Hills Drive along which three schools are located and the extension of upgrades along Wheeless Road when Highland changes into Wheeless at Gordon Highway.

While the roads are specific to his district, Williams said they connect to other TIA upgrades and are heavily used by commuter and school traffic.

Also likely to be added is $10 million to develop “solutions” for the Augusta-Aiken County lock and dam quandary, Davis said.

The Army Corps of Engineers plans to demolish the structure but a large segment of the community is concerned lowering of the “pool” upstream of the dam will adversely impact water levels.