Chattooga County Commissioner Andy Allen is requesting a Safety Action Plan (SAP) Grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) to improve road safety in the county. If approved, the grant could provide up to $428,000 in funding, a significant amount for a county with nearly 500 miles of county-maintained roads.

In a letter to the DOT, Commissioner Allen emphasized the urgent need for infrastructure safety in the region. “I am writing to express my strong support for Chattooga County’s application for the Safety Action Plan (SAP) Grant, which is crucial for enhancing roadway safety and reducing the frequency and severity of traffic accidents within our community,” Allen stated.

The SAP Grant would fund several improvements, including guardrails on hazardous road sections to prevent run-off crashes, additional road striping to improve nighttime visibility, extra signage in low-visibility zones, shoulder widening, and elevation corrections. “Investing in these measures will help reduce accidents and create safer travel conditions for everyone using our roads,” Allen concluded.

Commissioner Allen expressed his commitment to improving road safety, regardless of whether the SAP Grant is awarded. “We’re committed to doing everything we can to make our roads safer,” he said. “But this grant could make a big difference in how quickly and thoroughly we can do it.”

Should the grant be funded, Chattooga County plans to stripe several roads, including Nellie Lane, Tasha Lane, Poplar Springs Road, Tinney Road, Stallion Drive, Colt Lane, Perennial Springs Road, Gilkeson Road, Mayo Drive, South Airport Road, North Airport Road, Airport Road, Dogwood Drive, Barnesville Road, Yarbrough Road, Spring Hill Road, Palm Springs Road, Penn Bridge Road, and Sling Alley Road.