Walker County Awards Contract to Pave 13 Roads

Posted on by Joe Legge

LaFayette, GA – Walker County Commissioner Shannon Whitfield awarded a contract last night to Talley Construction to resurface 13 roads.

The project includes Peavine Road, East Long Hollow, Ringgold Road, Five Points Road and Five Points Spur, Osburn Road and Osburn Court, South Dicks Creek Road, South Burnt Mill Road, Dry Valley Road, West Schmitt Road, Glass Mill Road and Jones Road.

The Transportation Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) approved by voters in November 2017 and state LMIG (Local Maintenance Improvement Grant) funds will pay for this project, which is to be completed by September 30, 2019.  This allows the county to effectively pay “cash” for roads and avoid taking out costly loans that charge interest.

TSPLOST generates about $290,000 a month and helped fund three road projects in 2018: Nickajack Road, Nickajack Lane and Diamond Circle.

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 order of the 13 roads contracted for resurfacing.

Five Points Road Closed March 4th-8th

Posted on by Joe Legge

Chickamauga, GA – A section of Five Points Road will be closed to thru traffic March 4th – 8th.  Utility crews will close Five Points between Hamel Drive and Johnson Road from 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Workers will be replacing 2” water lines with 6” water mains, to accommodate additional fire hydrants in the area.  This work is also a necessary step before Five Points Road can be resurfaced later this year.

Walker County Seeks Bids for 2019 Road Resurfacing Project

Posted on by Joe Legge

Download Contract Documents for Walker County Local Maintenance Asphalt Resurfacing Project 2019-1

Questions about LMARP 2019-1

LaFayette, GA – Walker County Government is now accepting sealed bids to resurface multiple roads in 2019.

The work involves more than 23 miles of patching, asphalt overlay with tack coat, leveling and striping along Peavine Road, East Long Hollow, Ringgold Road, Five Points Road and Five Points Spur, Osburn Road and Osburn Court, South Dicks Creek Road, South Burnt Mill Road, Dry Valley Road, West Schmitt Road, Glass Mill Road and Jones Road.

Specifications for Walker County Local Maintenance Asphalt Resurfacing Project 2019-1 are available for download on the county’s website or at the Commissioner’s Office (101 S Duke Street, LaFayette, GA) between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Sealed bids will be accepted until 3:45 p.m. on March 21, 2019 at the Commissioner’s Office.  Bids will be opened at the Commissioner’s Office (101 S Duke Street, LaFayette, GA) at 4:00 p.m. on March 21, 2019.

Contract will be awarded at the Commissioner’s regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. on March 28, 2019.  The meeting will be held in the Walker County Courthouse Annex III, 201 South Main Street, LaFayette, GA.  Walker County reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

Road issues – 2/24/19

Posted on by Joe Legge

Be Advised: Travel along State Highway 136 is currently down to one lane on the LaFayette side going up the mountain toward Villanow. Drive with caution in this area. Georgia State Patrol and Georgia Department of Transportation are reviewing the issue.

Updated at 4:05 p.m. – West Cove Road is now open following a temporary road repair. Use caution in the 8100 block.

Updated at 3:30 p.m. – One lane is now open.

One lane of West Cove Road is temporarily closed between Captain Wood Road and Hog Jowl Road. A culvert near the Cross Farm needs repaired following all the rain.

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.