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The West Point city council discussed some long-term projects for the city at Tuesday’s work session. City Manager Ed Moon gave his report on some of the infrastructure projects being done in the city. 

One of the upcoming projects is the resurfacing of Kia Parkway and Kia Boulevard. Moon said that the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) estimated that the project would cost $5.5 million, with the city contributing $1.5 million. The funding will come from the 2025 Troup SPLOST. 

“GDOT [opened] the bid for the project on April 9 and they said that once the contractor is selected they’ll have a better idea of a time frame but they are thinking it should be underway by mid-summer,” Moon said. 

He added that this year’s resurfacing project had wrapped up, with work being done on Hatchet Street to Happy Hollow Road, Briarcliff Road, Highland Drive, Georgian Terrace, and West 12th Street. The leveling on the West Ninth railroad crossing was also done. The crossing has been closed since a sinkhole was discovered in August. The council has affirmed that the crossing will reopen despite opposition from the railroad company, CRX Transportation.

Moon also discussed the West Eighth Street crossing, a few hundred feet from the closed Ninth Street one. The city manager said the council had discussed removing one of the traffic lights at the crossing. There are two sets of signals on each side of the railroad tracks. 

“We discussed that and I think everyone really wanted to move forward trying to remove those signals,” Moon

Moon said he had met with Falcon Engineering this week to propose a traffic study. He adds that the study is required by DOT to do the project. 

After the meeting, Assistant City Manager Kristin Lester explained that the double traffic lights at the crossing had caused traffic to back up.