2019 Road Projects List Being Developed in Walker County

Posted on by Joe Legge

LaFayette, GA – Walker County voters approved the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) in November 2017, but it did not take effect until April 2018. With funding beginning to flow into the county last summer, Walker County paid cash for two initial projects – Nickajack Road and Diamond Circle.

The 2019 road projects list continues to be developed, but several roads have already been identified for work. We plan to solicit contractor bids this year for the following roads:

* Peavine Road (Rock Spring area)
* Ringgold Road (Rock Spring area)
* Five Points Road (Chickamauga area)
* Osburn Road (Chickamauga area)
* South Dicks Creek Road (Armuchee Valley area)
* South Burnt Mill Road (LaFayette area)
* Dry Valley Road (Rossville area)
* W. Schmitt Road (Rossville area)
* Glass Mill Road (Chickamauga area)
* Jones Road (Noble area)

In addition, Walker County is working with area utility providers to ensure underground lines that need to be replaced are addressed before road work begins. This could impact the schedule of when some roads are resurfaced.

Special Called Meeting Scheduled to Open Bids for Road Project

Posted on by Joe Legge

The Walker County Commissioner will hold a special called meeting on Wednesday, November 21st at Noon to open bids for Walker County Local Maintenance Asphalt Resurfacing Project 2018-02 (Diamond Circle). This is the only item that will be on the agenda.

Please note, this meeting will take place at the Commissioner’s Office at 101 S. Duke Street in LaFayette, not the Courthouse Annex III building.

Citizen Service Request (iWorQ) Now Available on Desktop

Posted on by Joe Legge

LaFayette, GA – Walker County Government has expanded the options available for citizens to report an issue with codes, roads, animals and other matters.

Last year, we launched the iWorQ Service Request mobile app for iPhone and Android devices.  Now, all of the same features are available on a desktop for residents who prefer a computer experience.

Simply click here to have the Citizen Service Request form open in a new tab or visit the “Residents” section of the Walker County Government website menu for quick access.

Citizens who currently use the app can use the same login information to access the desktop version.  New users will need to create an account before they can file a service request

Commissioner Provides 3rd Quarter Update on County Finances & Improvements

Posted on by Joe Legge

Rossville, GA – Walker County Sole Commissioner Shannon Whitfield provided an update on the road to financial recovery at the latest Walker County Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Whitfield discussed the 270 day turnaround in cash flow and how the county was able to operate longer in 2018 without a Tax Anticipation Note (TAN) compared to last year.

In January 2017, Walker County faced an $8 million shortfall in operating expenses for the year. The county addressed the financial crisis through a series of moves to cut expenses, improve efficiencies and using $7.5 million of an $8 million line of credit, which was paid off early on December 22, 2017. This year, TAN’s are $2 million less than the amount authorized last year.

Whitfield also revealed a number of other accomplishments, including a $12,000 profit at the Walker County Landfill following years of six-figure losses, a significant reduction in the number of animals euthanized at the Walker County Animal Shelter and plans for road improvements in the near future.

In addition, the Commissioner discussed the budget process, roadside mowing and Walker Rocks during his update.

Walker County Accepting Bids for Local Maintenance Asphalt Resurfacing Project 2018-01

Posted on by Joe Legge

Bid documents: Walker County Local Maintenance Asphalt Resurfacing Project 2018-1
Questions and Answers about 2018-1

LaFayette, GA – Walker County Government is soliciting competitive sealed bids from qualified contractors for a project consisting of asphalt overlay and striping, with additional patching and leveling of Nickajack Road, located on the east side of Lookout Mountain and Nickajack Lane, totaling approximately 4.4 miles of county road.

The time allowed for performance will be until November 1, 2018.  

The term and time of the payment from TSPLOST and LMIG funding for the project is within ten business days of completion of the project.  No proposal guaranty is required, but bids become binding upon submission.

Bidding documents, including specifications, can be obtained online at walkercountyga.gov/public-notices or at the Walker County Commissioner’s office, located at 101 South Duke Street, LaFayette, GA beginning at 12:00 noon on August 15, 2018.

Bids should be typed or printed and submitted in the lobby of the Walker County Commissioner’s office, located at 101 South Duke Street, LaFayette, GA 30728.  Bidding will remain open until 12:00 noon on August 30, 2018. Bids received after the designated time will not be considered. The OWNER of the project is WALKER COUNTY.

Bids will be opened in public at 6:00 p.m. on August 30, 2018, at a special called meeting of the Sole Commissioner of Walker County.  Public Meeting will be held in the Walker County Courthouse Annex III Building at 201 S. Main Street, LaFayette, GA.

All bids will remain subject to acceptance for fifteen days after the day of the bid opening.

Walker County government reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

Nick-A-Jack Road to be Closed for Maintenance June 4th – 8th

Posted on by Joe Legge

Lookout Mountain, GA – Walker County residents who travel Nick-A-Jack Road as part of their daily commute will need to find an alternate route next week. The road will be closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from Monday June 4th through Friday June 8th for road maintenance.

Walker County Public Works crews will be working to correct a mudslide that occurred near the roadway several years ago. The dirt and rock have blocked the natural flow of water off Lookout Mountain leading to excess water on the road when it rains.

After crews correct the slide spot, they will rebuild the shoulders along Nick-A-Jack Road.

These two maintenance projects to improve the safety of the road must be complete before Nick-A-Jack Road can be repaved in the future.

Ironman 70.3 & Down Home Days Return to Walker County This Weekend

Posted on by Joe Legge

Chickamauga, GA – Thousands of visitors will converge on Walker County this weekend to experience a popular triathlon, along with music, dancing, artisan demonstrations and a car show.

This year’s Ironman 70.3 event will follow Down Home Days in Chickamauga.

The Chickamauga Lions Club kicks off the weekend with the kid friendly festival on Saturday, May 19th. The event begins with a pancake breakfast at 8 a.m. at the Chickamauga Masonic Temple, located at 106 Cove Road. A farmer’s market, yoga at the Gordon Lee Mansion and a cruise-in get underway shortly thereafter.

Down Home Days will also feature nearly 90 vendors lining the streets of downtown Chickamauga. Parades, children’s game and live music highlight the street party, as well. Vendors will be open from 9 a.m. until at least 5 p.m., while entertainment will runs from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Ironman May 2018 CourseAs the sun rises on Sunday, May 20th, thousands of triathletes will test their metal in the Ironman 70.3 competition. The bike course runs through Walker County and residents are encouraged to review the areas that will be impacted while cyclists trek through an area awarded the 2017 Athletes Choice Award for Best Overall Bike course in 2017.

The race begins at 6:50 a.m. in Chattanooga, but race organizers warn roads in Walker County along the course could encounter delays between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. The areas at greatest risk of delays are Hwy. 193 at Hwy. 341, Hwy. 136 at Hwy. 193 and Hwy. 136 at Hwy. 341.

Ironman Best Bike CourseWalker County residents interested in watching the race are encouraged to line the streets of downtown Chickamauga, where the first cyclists are expected to start passing through around 10 a.m.

FAST FACT: Did you know, nearly 30 Walker County residents competed in an Ironman Chattanooga event last year? That’s nearly three times as many local competitors since 2015!

TSPLOST Takes Effect Sunday, April 1st in Walker County

Posted on by Joe Legge

Walker County voters approved a Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax on November 7, 2017 by an overwhelming margin. On Sunday, April 1st, local businesses will start collecting the additional penny tax to help fund road and bridge projects.

The sales tax rate in Walker County will change from 7% to 8% for most goods and services. Here’s a breakdown of how that 8% tax is figured.

  • 4% – Georgia State Sales Tax (increased from 3% to 4% on April 1, 1989)
  • 1% – LOST (local option sales tax took effect on April 1, 1976)
  • 1% – SPLOST (“special purpose” local option sales tax took effect on October 1, 2014 and ends on September 30, 2020)
  • 1% – ELOST (education local option sales tax took effect on July 7, 2017 and ends on June 30, 2022)
  • 1% – TSPLOST (transportation special purpose local option sales tax takes effect on April 1, 2018 and ends on March 31, 2023)

While TSPLOST will start being collected in April, it will be late summer before the county starts receiving the funds. With that in mind, Walker County is targeting Fall 2018 to tackle the first TSPLOST funded projects.

There are 674 miles of road in Walker County. An engineering firm will be evaluating each road and assigning a grade on a scale of 1 to 100, based on Georgia Department of Transportation specifications. The assessment will cover both paving quality and safety of our roads and bridges. Once the study is complete, the data will be added to our GIS system to map and color code roads by their grade.

This process will also show us where there are clusters of roads that are severe, in addition to which roads are more heavily traveled and create the most safety issues. Then, we will be able to make decisions on which roads to address based on data.

Once complete, the road study information will be made available to the public, so everyone can see the condition of all county roads.

Travel Impacted by Sinkhole on North Marble Top Road

Posted on by Joe Legge

UPDATE (7:30 p.m on 2/27/18) – North Marble Top Road has reopened. One lane remains closed near Diamond Drive.

Please use caution while traveling in this area, as this is a temporary fix until a water line can be moved in the coming days.

A sinkhole has forced the closure of a section of road in Walker County. North Marble Top Road is closed from Diamond Drive to Garrett’s Chapel Road.

Only local traffic is being allowed to travel northbound on North Marble Top past Garrett’s Chapel. There is no thru traffic past Diamond Drive southbound.

The hole is about 4′ wide and 6′ deep and is underneath the middle of the road, just before the intersection with Diamond Drive.

Public Works crews started removing the road, dirt, drainage culverts and pipes Tuesday morning. The underground infrastructure will be replaced and hole filled before the road reopens.

Motorists are advised to use an alternate route for the next several days.