VALDOSTA — After being on the county’s to-do list for more than five years, the James Road widening project has finally worked its way to the top. Originally scheduled for widening under SPLOST V, construction began on Feb. 16 using SPLOST VI funds, and is estimated to be completed in about a year.

One factor inspiring Lowndes County commissioners to move forward on the project is traffic counts.

James Road was designed as a rural minor collector road, but its convenience as a connector road between St. Augustine Road on the north and Highway 84 on the southside of town has led to more traffic than the road was meant to bear. Current traffic counts exceed 3,000 vehicles a day, which place it in the major collector road category, said Kevin Beals, Lowndes County development reviewer.

Beals said one factor holding up the project was funding until the Georgia Department of Transportation contributed $587,000 to the project. The county also had to secure the necessary rights of way, which came together during the past 18 months.

One side-benefit of the project will be to eliminate the foul odor that has plagued residents of the road for years. Beals said the force mains and associated air-release valves will be replaced with gravity sewers, causing the smell to dissipate.

County Commissioner Joyce Evans, District 1, hosted a community meeting at the Westside Elementary School on Thursday, Feb. 12, to bring residents up to date on the project, and to address their needs and concerns. About 70 property owners attended the meeting, Evans said, and County Manager Joe Pritchard, County Engineer Mike Fletcher, and other county staff were present to answer questions and provide information.

Westside Elementary School Principal Creacy Sermons said she expects the impact of the project on the school to be positive, though there may be some initial inconvenience during construction.

“I feel that the widening of James Road will help with the traffic in the mornings for parent drop off, and other motorists will be able to use the outside lanes. However, it will be a huge project and will certainly have an impact on the flow of traffic in and out of our school,” Sermons said.

Gary Minchew of Minchew Realty is glad to see construction finally getting underway. He said he has been trying to market his development near the southern end of James Road on the basis that the road would be there. Market Street, as the Lifestyle Center development is called, will include two sporting goods stores, six restaurants, and two hotels, among other businesses. He said interested retailers have been asking him for a year and a half when the road would be widened.

“This will be a tremendous help,” Minchew said. “The city, county, and state have all been tremendous helpmates.”

James Road is 2.58 miles long, and the section being widened comprises 4,400 feet. The entire road will be curb and gutter, with no ditches, and will include a raised median, according to information provided by the county. There will be five lanes in places, and the speed limit will vary between 25 and 45 miles per hour. Sidewalks will be installed, with a possible signal at Westside Road and St. Augustine Road.

Property owners must pay for their own sewer and water connections, at an estimated cost of between $1,000 and $5,000. Residents have until the end of February to notify the county whether they will opt for water and sewer connection, Evans said. All future development along the road will be required to have sewer and water connections.

Starting Monday, James Road will be closed from Westside Elementary School to St. Augustine Road. The road will be closed to all except local traffic, and will remain closed until completion. At a later time, the area south of Westside Elementary School will close and will remain closed until the conclusion of the project. At that point, the entire road will be closed to all except local traffic — people who live on the road or school traffic. Motorists are asked to avoid this area. Residents of James Road are asked to use caution.

For more information, call the Lowndes County Engineering Department at (229) 671-2424.