- City officials say that approval to begin construction from the GDOT is expected to happen in Spring of 2024.
- It will be five feet wide, and the plan also includes other infrastructure upgrades like drainage, piping, and filling in ditches.
- Check out the video above to hear from a Thomasville neighbor about the issue!
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"I think a sidewalk really would help," said Kelley Searcey, Daycare Teacher.
She's worked here at Tender Loving Care Daycare Center for the last 15 years. It's located on Old Albany Road. Searcey tells me this area has a lot of walkers.
"It's a lot of people cutting through the daycare because there's so much traffic on this road," said Searcey.
It's a problem the city of Thomasville is aware of. City officials tell me that they are in their final planning stages for their Old Albany Road Sidewalk Project.
All that is left are the design, specification, and contract language. I asked Thomasville leaders how we got here. In a statement emailed to me, they said a citizen brought up concerns back in 2019.
Searcey tells me she believes the foot traffic is due to convenience.
"Some do have cars, and some don't. It's kind of convenient for them, because there's a store up the road. And then you have the dollar stores that aren't super far," said Searcey.
The sidewalk is expected to stretch from North Boulevard to Plantation Oaks Drive.
It will be five feet wide, and the plan also includes other infrastructure upgrades like drainage, piping, and filling in ditches.
It's something Searcey says she hopes happens sooner than later to ensure everyone's safety.
"I noticed that it's a lot of older people, kids, just the all-around community just needing somewhere to walk without having to be in the road," said Searcey.
As for what's next, city officials tell me that approval to begin construction from the GDOT is expected to happen in Spring of 2024.
