GDOT willing to give up to $100k for Milledgeville sidewalk project

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A spokesperson with the Georgia Department of Transportation says the state is willing to put up to $100,000 toward a sidewalk project in Milledgeville.

It’s a dangerous problem affecting the area’s veterans.

They’ve seen fields of battle, fought for their lives to protect this country — and now they’re risking theirs just trying to get to the store.

“Sure I worry. Some people just don’t drive right you know?” Veteran Errol Scorza asked.

Dozens of vets at the Georgia War Veterans’ Home in Milledgeville ride their motorized wheelchairs down the center turning lane of State Route 112 nicknamed “Suicide Lane” to go shopping.

“It’s dangerous because they had to cross into the highway to get into that lane,” Dennis Mize, the executive director of the home, said.

Mize says worrying about the vets’ safety is causing him to go even more gray and the sidewalks aren’t any safer.

“It would actually flip the wheelchairs or they would get stuck like that,” Mize demonstrated. “It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when something bad is going to happen and it’ll be a very sad day.”

He says he’s gone to city and Baldwin County leaders expressing his concern. He wants a fixed, wheelchair accessible sidewalk so his tenants can travel up and down these busy roads safely.

“This is how those guys exercise their freedom. It’s the last little bit of freedom they have being able to show some independence. It’s so dangerous for them,” Mize said.

Help is on the way.

“We’ve committed up $100,000 or 70% of the project costs, whichever is less. We’ve had estimates maybe between $120-$140,000 possibly. It sounds like the county obviously will come up with the other 30%” Kyle Collins, the district communications officer for district 2 at the Georgia Department of Transportation, said.

GDOT is fronting a majority of the proposed project, but they’re waiting on county leaders to commit to their end.

Veterans want the problem to be fixed as soon possible.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for guys that’s on their wheelchairs trying to get through,” Scorza said as he made his way down the center lane to a nearby convenience store.

Reps from GDOT says the offer will stand to put up to $100,000 into the project until June 30, 2016 when the fiscal year ends. Baldwin County Commissioner Henry Craig tells 41NBC he expects the county to work a deal with contractors in the coming weeks and has “his fingers crossed” the project finished “well before” next spring.