By Maria José Subiria
msubiria@news-daily.com

Clayton and Henry counties will be receiving a combined total of more than $820,000 from the Local Assistance Road Program (LARP), to assist in resurfacing and maintaining roadways within their jurisdictions, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).
In addition, the Clayton County cities of Forest Park, Jonesboro, Lovejoy, Morrow and Riverdale are expected to receive a combined total of $73,344 from LARP. The awards were announced last week by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
According to Crystal Paulk-Buchanan, a spokesperson for the department, the LARP program is a GDOT resurfacing initiative created to assist local governments in maintaining roadway infrastructure.
She said traffic volume, and the weight of vehicles, are some of the factors that can lead to roadway deterioration.
According to GDOT data, Clayton County will receive $406,274 for 15 projects in unincorporated areas of the county, including Bar Harbor Drive, Grant Road, Hill Top Road and Rabun Road.
“We received our LARP package from them [GDOT] yesterday afternoon,” Jeff Metarko, the director of Transportation and Development for Clayton County, said Thursday.
Metarko said that with the Clayton County Board of Commissioners’ approval, the projects funded by LARP could start in the spring of 2010, and be completed by the end of next year.
“It really gets down to the specifics of each road, and what its needs are,” he said.
In Clayton County, Forest Park will receive a total of $33,713 for resurfacing work on Cash Memorial Boulevard, Lake Drive and Scott Road, according to GDOT data. Jonesboro will get $7,324 for resurfacing on Watterson Street. Lovejoy will get $5,432 for Talmadge Road. The City of Morrow will get $7,680 for Market Place. Riverdale will receive $19,195 for resurfacing projects on Delta Drive and Powers Street.
According to GDOT data, Henry County is getting about $414,000 for 18 resurfacing projects, including work on Countryside Drive, Cypress Lane, Deerfield Trail, Flippen Road and Highland Boulevard.
According to Tony O’Neal, paving supervisor for the Henry County Department of Transportation, there are a variety of roads that need to be re-paved in the county. He said some roads have deteriorated faster than expected, because they weren’t built to accommodate the level of traffic they now get because of the county’s growth.
“Flippen Road really wasn’t built for the amount of traffic that is on that now,” said O’Neal. “Yeah, it is a big challenge to resurface all the roads that need resurfacing. It is challenging trying to stay ahead of the growth.”
Last year, O’Neal said Henry County received LARP funding to resurface 30 roads. He said the county is expecting to complete the projects by April.
He said Henry will begin work on the roads on its 2009 LARP list sometime after April of next year.
Henry County cities will also get a share of about $26 million in LARP funding administered directly by the Georgia DOT, said Paulk-Buchanan. About $9,000 will pay for work on Hillside and Westside drives in Hampton. In Locust Grove, about $15,000 will go toward Woodridge Drive.
Additionally, about $26,000 will be used for work on Marians Way, Ohara Court and Toby Springs Lane in McDonough. In Stockbridge, about $30,000 will go toward work on Corporate Center Court and Corporate Center Drive.
“The Department recognizes the funding challenges faced by local governments, and the need for infrastructure improvements,” said Vance Smith, Jr., commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation. “Resurfacing county roads and city streets promotes economic development, improves safety and reduces wear and tear on vehicles.”