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4 major road projects proposed in Baldwin Co. ahead of T-SPLOST vote

If Central Georgians vote to pass the proposed "transportation sales tax" next week, T-SPLOST would bring about $1 million extra dollars a year to Baldwin County.

Baldwin County Manager Carlos Tobar says the roads in the county are "getting worse every year."

But if Central Georgians vote to pass the proposed "transportation sales tax" next week, he says at least 4 roads in Baldwin could see major improvements.

There's 433 miles of county road in Baldwin, but Tobar says with current state funding, the county can only afford to repave about 7 miles of road every year. This translates into repaving each road once every 62 years.

"That T-SPLOST would help avoid having to reconstruct a road, because at this rate, it costs over 400,000 a mile," says Tobar.

Tobar says if Central Georgia voters pass the proposed transportation sales tax, or T-SPLOST, next week, it would give Baldwin County about $1 million more per year, for the next 10 years, for transportation and road projects.

"We'd be able to come back here in 20 years rather than 62 to surface this road," says Tobar.

The T-SPLOST is a local transportation sales tax. A penny comes out of each local purchase and goes towards the funding.

"You shop or you dine here anyway already, plus 40 percent of the revenue will probably come from out of town shoppers and diners coming into Baldwin County," says Tobar.

If the T-SPLOST passes, 75 percent of the funds given to each county must be allocated towards "specific projects."

In Baldwin, leaders have proposed 4 multi-million dollar resurfacing and widening projects on Kings Road, Log Cabin Road, North Jefferson Street, and Dunlap Road.

"It helps with economic development, it helps to improve your road so that it attracts businesses to come in, it helps to reduce traffic congestion," says Tobar.

Tobar says, if passed, the other 25 percent of the T-SPLOST funding, along with "local discretionary funds," can pay for things like maintenance equipment, school zone signs and repaving.

According to the Middle Georgia Regional Commission, 11 designated counties must pass the T-SPLOST on May 22nd in order for it to happen.

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