Progression is still being made by the City of Calhoun and the Georgia Department of Transportation on the Union Grove Road-Interstate 75 interchange.

During the last city council meeting in March, Mayor Jimmy Palmer reviewed an actual cost utility agreement and resolution with the Georgia Department of Transportation that deals with the utility relocation near the Union Grove 1-75 interchange.

This agreement consists of $114,500 that will be paid by the GDOT to relocate the city water lines.

Calhoun Utilities Water and Sewer Director Jerry Crawford said this agreement allows for progression in the Union Grove, I-75 interchange to continue.

“We have some existing water mains that are on easements, not public right of ways, but easements, and the DOT will be purchasing that property in order to do their work,” explain Crawford. “So, they pay us to move those utilities.”

The relocation of the water mains means a lot of work for the staff at Calhoun Utilities.

“We will have to install a new water main at that location,” said Crawford. “It’s around 1400 feet on easement, but we’ve got about three times that much that isn’t, so we will be doing approximately $900,000 worth of utility relocation.”

With the GDOT paying $114,500 of the cost, the remaining amount will come from operating expense, according to Crawford.

Calhoun Utilities and the GDOT will begin relocation soon.

“We have recently got a notice to proceed from GDOT and our materials are on order, so we are a few weeks away on beginning construction,” explained Crawford. “We estimate it will be completed, as far as our part of it, will be in about five months.”

According to a previous Calhoun Times’ article, the Union Grove interchange has been on the books at the state level for several years, but DOT projects of this magnitude are notoriously slow moving.

The interchange discussion has been in the works for well over a year.