Jason A. Smith | The Valdosta Daily TimesCity officials attend the groundbreaking for South Troup Street.

VALDOSTA –– Friday the city broke ground at the 900 block of South Troup Street on the Coastal Plains property. The ground breaking ceremony was for pedestrian, street, stormwater and utility improvements. 

The plan for South Troup Street includes new sidewalks on the east side of the street, crosswalks, curbs, gutters, bicycle lanes on both sides of the street, underground storm sewer and drainage inlets, new driveway aprons for all of the houses on the street and new water/sewer service connections.

The project will run from Griffin Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and is intended to be completed in eight to nine months, according to Sandra Tooley, city council member for District Two.

The project was originally slated for 2018, but it was pushed forward to 2016. 

“I am just so happy, so very happy it is being done,” said Tooley about the project. 

“It’s been a long struggle but its all worth it because its all coming together,” said Gerald Johnson, who has been working to make the project a reality since 2004 and is a resident of the 700 block of South Troup Street.

The project is funded by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax VII. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1256.