Macon-Bibb approves $50 million of SPLOST funds for next phase of ‘Paving the Way’

“People were complaining all the time, one thing I heard going around listening to people talk, I want my road paved, it’s not just their road, but their neighbors road and the neighbor ten miles away,” said Theron Ussery, who’s over the SPLOST. “They want those roads paved and they want it done now.”

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Potholes are one of drivers’ worst nightmares, and hitting one at the wrong angle could cost hundreds in repairs. That’s especially true along Goodall Mill Road, where residents have grown increasingly frustrated by damaged pavement and safety concerns.

The stretch near South Goodall Drive is scattered with potholes, and some debris has even made its way onto nearby properties. While on the scene, our crews saw drivers swerving into the middle of the road to avoid the holes, raising additional safety concerns.

But relief is on the way.

Fifty million dollars in SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) funds have been approved for the next phase of “Paving the Way,” a road improvement initiative announced during a news conference at Macon City Hall.

According to Macon-Bibb County, the project will include road repair, maintenance and restriping, with even more funding coming from the General Fund and State Local Maintenance and Improvement Grants (LMIG). Scans of more than 1,100 county-owned paved roads have already been completed to assess their conditions. That data is expected back in June and will help prioritize which roads need attention first.

The county isn’t waiting, though. $25 million from a previous SPLOST bond issue is already being used to get the first round of work started. That includes 1.6 miles of Goodall Mill Road, between Sardis Church Road and Houston Road, which is now being prepped for repaving.

“For far too many years, we’ve traveled over 1,100 miles of roads here in our community and we’ve had a little rocky ride—and sometimes we had a little potholes and other cracks that you see,” said Mayor Lester Miller. “Unfortunately, in the past, we haven’t had to put as much money in those, infrastructure that we’d like to do, but all that changed in the last couple months when the citizens of Macon-Bibb County, by a vote of 83% of those who showed up to vote, gave us the authority to make one of the most significant improvements in our infrastructure that we’ve ever been able to make.”

“We’re going to make a historic, historic investment in our roads—up to $50 million.”

Theron Ussery, who oversees SPLOST, echoed the urgency.

“People were complaining all the time,” he said. “One thing I heard going around listening to people talk—’I want my road paved’. It’s not just their road, but their neighbor’s road and the neighbor ten miles away.”

District 6 Commissioner Raymond Wilder spoke about how previous SPLOST projects didn’t prioritize roads.

“Most of it was dedicated to rec centers, and I understand we needed them, but roads have always been of great importance to me,” he said. “We will likely need more than the $50 million we’ve been discussing due to the condition our roads have gotten.”

Ann Bryant, a resident of Goodall Mill Road, shared her thoughts.

“We have a lot of potholes in our road and a lot of damages,” she said. “We need to have it resurfaced so we can have some smooth riding and traveling time on it.”

She added, “People out in the area, they really drive too fast on it.”

District 7 Commissioner Bill Howell explained the budget challenges.

“People got to realize that roads—we get about three to four miles out of LMIG money, which is money that comes from the state to repair or repave roads,” he said. “This way, hopefully, we can stretch it to maybe five or six miles, because a neighborhood road doesn’t need the same paving that a major thoroughfare does.”

Howell also touched on why Goodall Mill Road has become overwhelmed with traffic.

“As anybody that travels on I-75 knows, if there’s any kind of issue between Sardis Church Road and Byron, our friend Mr. Google nowadays will direct people to come down Houston Road, down Goodall Mill Road, back up Sardis Church Road and back on the interstate,” he said. “I’ve literally had folks call me and said I need to call Google and tell them to quit doing that. Unfortunately, I don’t have that much pull with Google,” Howell joked. “Goodall Mill Road was a country road that really wasn’t designed for that much traffic, but now we have that traffic—probably twice or three times a month.”

“It just put an undue strain on our infrastructure,” he added. “But that’s part of growth. We like growth—it’s a good thing.”

Charise Stephens, OSBA Director, encouraged local businesses to register with the county as Mayor Miller closed the news conference.

“We’re going to show you what we are going to do by paving the way in Macon-Bibb County,” said Miller. “We just ask you be patient, that you join us, you continue to support us, but more importantly—if your business wants an opportunity to participate in the process to make some good money, helping us move along the way to create more economic development—please sign up, register the vendor. We’d like to see your help.”