The agreement is a result of the City receiving a $93,862.68 grant from GDOT, in an attempt to provide safety installations, signage, thermoplastic striping and markings for City streets at no cost to the city.
“The stripes are longer lasting, and there are several streets involved,” Mayor Jimmy Palmer said.
According to Shawn Chastain, of the Calhoun Street Department, the biggest part of this project is the thermoplastic striping and the raised pavement markers.
The paint that Calhoun, and most cities use on the roads is an oil-based paint, which has a lifespan of about two years, according to Chastain. The thermoplastic striping has a lifespan of about five years and is thicker and more visible than the oil-based.
There are 25 various roads around Calhoun that have been chosen to be equipped with the thermoplastic striping and the raised pavement markings, which are the reflecting lights that are aligned down the center line.
Chastain also said, four or five of the roads will have new updated railroad crossing signs installed that match the State’s standards.
“The program is intended to increase driving visibility and make the roads safer,” he said.
According to Chastain, Calhoun received this grant five years ago this fall, and the city was able to use the money to increase traffic safety at various locations around town. When Calhoun received the money last time, Peak out of Columbus got the bid for the project. According to Chastain, Peak is the contractor that does work on the interstates.
“It took about a year from start to finish last time we did this project,” Chastain said.
The bidding process to find a contractor for this project could begin as early as spring of this year.
The Mayor and Council approved on the agreement, and according to Chastain, all contracts have been turned in to the consultant. The only thing Calhoun is waiting on now is a letter to proceed from GDOT, which will give them six months to begin the project. The City of Calhoun will oversee the project, but all of the money is 100 percent funded through the state. If the city goes over the allotted amount they have to match any funds after that amount, and if the city does not use it all the remaining funds go back to the state.
But according to Chastain, after going through this process before, and not going over budget or having to send any money back; he is confident the project will run as smooth as it did in the past.
“Anytime you can get a grant, especially when it concerns safety, it is a good thing. It is very helpful to our community,” Palmer said.
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