Quick Poll
With the recent passing of music icons Donna Summer and Robin Gibb – each had major success in the 1970s and 1980s – which music decade is your favorite?
- Pre-1960s: 45
- 1960s: 83
- 1970s: 144
- 1980s: 116
- 1990s: 30
- 2000s: 2
- Present: 13
Total Votes:
Published Wednesday, February 08, 2012 in Opinion
GDOT needs to improve its record on completing road construction projects
Editorial
Few things irritate motorists more than missed deadlines in road construction projects. In the past, our community and this newspaper have grumbled about extraordinary delays in completing road projects.
We all remember the long delays and the dangerous driving conditions along Interstate 85 during the three years that the widening project dragged on.
It seemed to take forever to see progress on intersection improvements at Highway 154 and Lower Fayetteville Road. While progress has been made, there is still wrangling over whether the traffic lights at that intersection should have turn signals.
Almost a decade ago, there were seemingly never-ending delays getting the intersection improvements done at U.S. 29 North at Weldon Road and the railroad track near Palmetto.
Today, the big problem irritating Newnan drivers and hundreds of residents and business people is the widening of the Newnan Highway 34 Bypass from Bullsboro Drive to Carrollton Highway. The work started in 2009. It was scheduled for completion at the end of 2011. That didn't happen.
While the stretch of roadway has been open throughout the construction, driving conditions have not been ideal. And intersections into busy residential and business areas have been terrible.
Our readers have been asking when the construction will be completed. Georgia DOT told our reporter last week that "it will likely require another extension of approximately six months."
The delay was blamed on "several plan revisions, erosion control issues, a sub-contractor going out of business ... and a replacement firm having to be secured, and weather."
The bottom line is it appears that everything that could go wrong did, but that's small consolation to motorists and residents along the bypass.
There are simply too many DOT projects that get bogged down and don't come close to getting completed on time. That's a problem GDOT needs to address.
GDOT is about to hire a new commissioner. We hope that the new hire will pay attention to this problem of missed deadlines and long delays in finishing road projects. It would seem that better planning on the front end would cut down on the need for revisions. Better screening of contractors and sub-contractors should solve that issue.
Blaming the weather?
Funny thing. The Newnan Times-Herald received a news release from GDOT Tuesday morning. It stated, "The Georgia Department of Transportation is taking advantage of a (so far) warmer than normal winter to work on several important projects to improve motorists' mobility in Metropolitan Atlanta."
How about the Newnan Highway 34 Bypass?
Comment On This Story
Times-Herald.com does not necessarily agree with the comments posted below. Responsibility of comments rests solely with the writer. Comments posted in ALL CAPS will be deleted.
Submission of a comment does not guarantee publication. Comments will be posted by a moderator after being scanned for abusive language, relevance, etc. See our Comments FAQ for more details.
Your comment was not approved because it was 319 words in length. Our limit is 100 words.
Posted by Moderator at 2:35 PM
In the "real world" (private sector), excuses don't cut it. The governement however, never seems to have a sense of having to produce to any level of expectations. Iv's come to expect this failure from this monster we have created, and seems to have no accountability.
Posted by Jim at 9:03 AM
If GDOT would fine the contractors for missing deadlines, there would not be so many delays. The weather the past 6 months was not a factor, so not a good excuse. Inferior management is the problem. A good project manager adds variables to his / her matrix to account for delays. Hiring the cheapest contractor never works, they always under bid the project to get the work and miss every possible deadline. I know folks need work, but the screening process is another issue; proper checks will eliminate the companies that cannot fulfill their obligation.People listen when their profit is less.
Posted by Jim Sulkanen at 3:41 PM
If businesses start to speak up about how this affects them and their future in Newnan maybe then it may get more attention. I wonder how many have already folded and how many have lost revenue because of this fiasco. Maybe television media needs to get involved, then maybe the city or county may pressure GDOT and it's contractor themselves to save face and not attract further outreaching negative publicity.
Posted by Billy at 3:09 PM
Not only timing, but quality of the work.
Posted by Peter Schramm at 12:33 PM
So what's new? I love this county but the road department is doing a poor job beginning and completing every single project it is involved with. Why hasn't the County Commission taken steps to improve the situation.If the Commission can't improve the process then at least let us know why .
Posted by Michael Merget at 12:04 PM
GDOT should send some unannounced observers down there on any given day to see how much standing and watching those crews do during their shifts. Stop making excuses for this contractor and start cracking the whip a little bit, give them June 1st as a firm deadline and then start penalizing them if they miss it again. Results will happen if you threaten to cut holes in their pockets.
Posted by Billy at 11:25 AM
The project success depends on "Plan the Work, and Work the Plan" philosophy. A key to any project is the selection of only highly qualified contractors and subcontractors, including their finances. Project Managers who have completed projects ahead of schedule have also saved money. The quality of work is also good.
Posted by NM at 11:20 AM
The only job security in Georgia is to be a road construction contractor. Take as long as you want, don't even have to be competent. Redo's unlimited. Multitask several at once to stretch each project as long as possible.
The Transcontinental railroad was built in six years, with hand tools. The Newnan Bypass is taking half that long.
Posted by Joe at 10:18 AM
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Emailed
- Commented
- Store clerk shot during robbery; non-life threatening injuries
- Senoia's second Southern Living Idea House set to open June 2
- Blunt force trauma killed wreck victim
- You will have to renew driver's license in person starting July 1
- Driver faces weapons and drug charges
- 11-year-old charged after bringing toy gun to school
- Motel Fire: Three families displaced; fireman's injuries minor
- Suspects sought in T-Mobile robbery
- 'Drop Dead Diva' films in downtown Newnan
- Graduation Day: 1,500 will receive Coweta high school diplomas
- You will have to renew driver's license in person starting July 1
- HGTV's Green Home at Serenbe open through June 24
- Chattahoochee "endangered river?" Planned water reservoirs seen as hazard by national group
- Senoia's second Southern Living Idea House set to open June 2
- A tribute to Robert Wood
- Suspects sought in T-Mobile robbery
- Summer HEAT program now underway in Georgia
- Top-ranked Brentwood too much for Heritage School
- Registration open for virtual schools
- Samaritan Clinic needs our support to expand its free health services
- Officers watching you to ensure you buckle your seat belt
- Do our police put too much emphasis on seat belt law?
- Pastor's Corner: Are you born that way or not?
- Summer HEAT program now underway in Georgia
- Coty wants Grantville charter amended; Sells objects to 'micromanaging'
- You will have to renew driver's license in person starting July 1
- Railroad crossing now open
- Chattahoochee "endangered river?" Planned water reservoirs seen as hazard by national group
- High school graduation a significant milestone in the life of a student
- Northgate Spring Football Practice: Working on an encore
i'm just sayin'
2/9/2012
Link To This Comment
The Transcontinental Railroad was built in 6 years however there were no utilities, Federal oversight, environmental compliance, interstate traffic or angry business owners to deal with. And it was not built in a major metropolitan area.
Privatization does not equal higher quality work, but it does mean paying more for the same product.
Governments are restricted by budget and have to prioritize resources.
Contractors are fined for missed deadlines, weather was not an issue this year but things like floods, ice storms and tornadoes will impede progress.
Posted by Just being me. at 5:12 PM