Hwy. 29 project on the table again, but questions of ‘if, where, when’ ...

The state DOT proposes a widening and rerouting of Hwy. 29, along with a bypass of Danielsville. Four different routing options were on display at the MCHS cafeteria, drawing several inquisitive — and some concerned — residents.

“Yes, I am somewhat concerned,” said Jill Chandler, whose property on Holman Autry Road is located near the path of one bypass option. “Nobody wants a four-lane coming through their backyard.”

The DOT’s possibilities include one route that goes west of Danielsville, another that goes east, and two that start out east of town and cut back across Hwy. 29 and swing west.

Each of the four bypass options spans at least 11 miles, tying back into Hwy. 29 north of Danielsville near the intersection of Hwy. 281.

The DOT displayed these routes on three expansive 5 x 26 satellite image maps at the MCHS cafeteria and sent 10 officials to field questions.

But Madison County is a long way from seeing one of its main arteries expanded. There are no designs, nor funding for Hwy. 29 proposal, DOT engineer Russell McMurry explained.

“So really at this point, there is no plan, no timetable to start actually doing the finer elements of design such that you can buy right of way and eventually build a project,” he said.

Stimulus money wouldn’t factor into the Hwy. 29 project either, McMurry said. Those dollars go toward projects designated as “shovel-ready” by March 2010.

McMurry said the point of last Thurday’s open house was to collect citizen input over the different routes to help formulate a plan.

“It gives us some idea of where you start design,” McMurry said.

Lane and Rita Collins, who live near the Golden Pantry on Fortson Store Road, didn’t have any specific problems with the maps but don’t expect a revamped Hwy. 29 anytime soon.

“I think it will be a good many years before it comes,” Lane Collins said.

But Collins did wonder what economic effect this would have on Danielsville if it ever did. Three bypass options route traffic away from the city’s businesses.

“I wondered about bypassing a small town like Danielsville, what effect it might have on businesses,” Collins said. “If I was a small business owner, I might be upset.”

Others wondered if Hwy. 29 traffic warranted a bypass around Danielsville at all.

Chandler noted that Madison County Middle School has moved out of Danielsville, which might have eased some traffic congestion.
She also questioned the rationale of such a project given the economic climate.

“You wonder if there’s going to be the growth to sustain the need,” Chandler said.

But for now, property owners are in wait-and-see mode.

Roger Jordan, who lives on Hwy. 29 in Dogsboro, said one proposed route would take part of his right-of-way. But he remembered talk of widening Hwy. 29 and bypassing Danielsville a decade ago when he first moved to his property.

“That was 10 years ago and nothing has happened,” he said.