Good to be w/ you again, friends.
So...Social Circle.
Man. Wow. What can you say?
On the heels of the news of the ICE detainment facility coming to the city being confirmed about a month ago, this past week the city was informed that they may be decertified as a "Qualified Local Government" by the GA Department of Community Affairs (DCA) meaning that they would no longer be eligible for numerous federal & state grant and loan programs.
This action was apparently a result of Social Circle's attempted annexation from Newton Co of approx 700 acres near Hwy 11 that was deemed improper by the DCA.
As an aside, this publication has previously talked about The Circ's reputation for "Annex Abuse" that has been documented for many years now.
As I also mentioned in a recent post, while some think the city is getting what it deserves due to their pushing for data centers & truck stops and their documented thirst for Newton Co land, I still can't get on board w/ that.
While I think that several of the politicians & elected officials over the years have made bad decisions, and the city's had a reputation for poor financial moves, I still really like the place & its inhabitants.
Plus, their school system is great & has provided a lifeline for many Newton families.
It really is too bad regarding the ICE facility.
Hwy 81 Closure
Well it looks like they've pushed it back a week & that stretch of Emory St/Hwy 81 for the replacement of the old bridge just south of Hwy 278 will not close until next Monday March the 9th.
As I've mentioned on the socials, it's going to cause major, major traffic issues for the home city:
All of the usual north-south traffic on Hwy 81 will have to go somewhere else.Both West St & Pace St. will have way more volume to add to already high existing volume. And after the Pace St redesign, it's already a hot mess. It's gonna be awful.Also, you're going to have major increased volume on 278 both east & west of 81 as folks are having to get to those alternate thoroughfares.What I'm saying is pretty much the entirety of 278 from Elm/Alcovy to Turner Lake & all surface streets in between are going to be off the chain during the usual high volume times, even more than usual.
Stone Mountain St, the road that will take you to West St from Emory, will be a disaster. And don't forget about north of 278 as well. Herring St & Old Atlanta Hwy will be clogged up running east & west and West St north of 278 is gonna be super busy. There will also be multiple bottlenecks up & down 81 on the north side as folks try to get back on the highway.
GDOT is saying it's going to be about 5 & 1/2 months.
Yeah, we'll see about that.
And oh, check out this top-notch graphic compliments of the City of Covington:
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| Wow.Looks like they spared no expense on this one! |
Regardless, it's gonna be rough for those of us who often travel in this particular part of the city for a good while. Oh well, it's always something.
Okay for now, Scamps.
- MBM
