Construction of an alternate route in and out of the Oak Ridge Trail/Farr’s Community has been put out for bids.
An advertisement for bids for what is officially known as the Timber Lane project is included in this week’s public notices.
County Chairman Neal Bennett confirmed the project is now officially underway. Bids will be due September 2.
“Our plans are to link Timber Lane with Screven Avenue at its intersection with Oak Ridge,” said Bennett.
Timber Lane runs adjacent to the railroad coming off Midway Church Road near Lairsey Crossing at the Beach Timber Company (formerly Ace Pole Company).
The first phase will include clearing timber and doing soil tests to see what will be needed for the roadway planned through the area. Bennett said a bridge may be needed across Hacklebarney Creek to complete the project.
Ann Purcell, Pierce County’s district representative on the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) State Board helped to secure funding for the project.
GDOT announced last July it was awarding the county a Local Maintenance Improvement/Local Road Assistance (LMIG/LRA) Grant for the project. The county received $1,039,145.39 in LMIG/LRA funds.
Commissioners have been trying for several years to find an alternative exit for residents in the community. There is currently only one way in and out of the area via the railroad crossing on Oak Ridge Trail. Access and exit are already a problem since trains routinely block the crossing — sometimes for more than an hour — waiting to get into Rice Yard in Waycross.
