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Forsyth County revives plan to widen Pilgrim Mill Road
roadwork

CUMMING — Forsyth County is planning to move forward with its longtime plan for widening Pilgrim Mill Road from the Cumming city limits to Holtzclaw Road.

Officials with both local governments said the plan dates back to the special purpose local options sales tax program known as SPLOST V, which voters approved in 2003.

During a meeting Tuesday night, City Attorney Dana Miles told the Cumming City Council that he had received a request from County Attorney Ken Jarrard.

“His question is, ‘Is it covered under the existing SPLOST agreement or do we need a new intergovernmental agreement?’ In my opinion, it is covered by the existing SPLOST agreement,” Miles said.

He did ask council members to formally ratify the existing agreement, which they did by a 5-0 vote.

Mayor H. Ford Gravitt said the city had widened its portion of the road, to the Cumming Aquatic Center and National Guard Armory, which had been part of the original agreement.

In a follow-up interview, County Engineering Director John Cunard said the county did not meet its expected revenue from SPLOST V, but that the project had received funding from the transportation bond program voters approved in 2014.

Last month, the county commission voted to allow Moreland Altobelli to begin acquiring right of way for the project.

According to Cunard, a timeframe for the project hasn’t been set, but that the county would bid out the construction once right of way had been acquired.

He said that the scope of the project will change after the Freedom Parkway intersection.

“It’ll be four lanes up to Freedom Parkway and then taper down to three lanes up to Holtzclaw Road,” Cunard said.