The Pierce County Commission unanimously rescinded its support for a proposed Waycross Perimeter Road (bypass) during a called meeting last Thursday morning, Jan. 22.
A proposed non binding referendum on the issue tentatively set for the May 19 primary election has also been cancelled.
Commissioners did not comment directly on the issue and the action taken was anticipated, after the board hinted it would rescind its support and not hold a referendum at its January regular meeting.
County Chairman Neal Bennett did hold out a small avenue of hope for bypass supporters, by saying that the issue could be revisited and a referendum could still be held in the future, if the Department of Transportation came up with new information or a new plan.
Commissioners initially approved a resolution in support of the perimeter road in their November, 2025 meeting. Pierce joined Brantley County in supporting the resolution by request of Ware County.
Public opposition to the plan exploded over the proposed route and fears county property owners might be adversely affected by the road.
Bennett stressed at the county’s January meeting that he had not signed the resolution of support and was inclined not to in light of public opposition to the proposal in Pierce County. The Brantley commissioners also rescinded their support last week.
However, Brantley and Ware Counties ran public notices this week on possible legislation to be introduced in this year’s Georgia General Assembly seeking public input on the proposed bypass by calling for a non-binding referendum election on the question.
The Times received a similar public notice, but it was later canceled by Pierce’s representative in the Assembly, Steven Meeks (R-Screven).
Reaction to the proposal was overwhelmingly negative even though the proposed route was just that‚ a proposal. Georgia Department of Transportation projects generally take 5-10 years—or longer—in planning before construction takes place.
The bypass proposal was resurrected in October, when the old east bypass idea from 2002 was brought back up—but this time expanded to a perimeter road all the way around Waycross.
The 2025 proposal would have used Midway Church Road and Hacklebarney/Cason Roads in Pierce County for a phase of the perimeter road. The road would also pass through a small part of Brantley County in the Central Avenue Extension area, before crossing U.S. 82 near Aycock Road in Ware County, crossing U.S. 1 below Walker Jones and going below CSX’s Rice Yard to come back up through Jamestown and back to Hacklebarney/Cason.
The original 2002 proposal was canceled in 2015 due to public opposition.
Still, the idea has continued to float around as a way to accommodate future growth specifically geared toward handling truck traffic and congestion and delays by trains blocking railroad crossings.
