Henry County commissioners approved several transportation projects Tuesday and directed staff to finalize an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the City of McDonough for the State Route 81 widening project.

SPLOST staff presented a year-in-review and recommended awards. For East Atlanta Road, staff reported Henry County was notified of $850,000 in HUD funding from Congressman David Scott and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; the county received 11 bids and recommended awarding resurfacing to E.R. Snell, the lowest responsive bidder at $1,240,097. Staff proposed funding the balance with SPLOST District resurfacing funds ($390,097). The board moved and approved the award.

The board also accepted an LMIG (Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant) allocation from GDOT of $2,982,621.45 for fiscal year 2026; the grant requires a 30 percent local match of $867,786.44. Staff explained projects were chosen using a road-rating system (0–100) and provided maps by district for roads slated for repair.

For subdivision resurfacing, the Department of Transportation recommended awarding bid 26-07 for full resurfacing of the Greenview Homes/Saratoga Woods subdivision to Blunt Construction with a total project budget including contingencies of $1,031,000; the board approved the award.

On State Route 81 phase 1 (Postmaster Drive to Bethany Road), staff briefed the board that GDOT will solicit bids in January 2026 and that the most recent GDOT utility-relocation estimate is about $3.73 million. The City of McDonough had set aside $7.7 million in its T-SPLOST list for this project; negotiators reported the city tentatively agreed to increase its utility contribution in earlier staff conversations while GDOT would provide oversight but not utility funding. After follow-up clarification from the county manager and staff on county obligations (county commit roughly $32,000,000 for right-of-way, design and construction) and options to avoid delay, the board approved an amended motion to enter an IGA with the City of McDonough specifying the countycommitment of $32,000,000 and the city's commitment of $7,700,000 to the project. Commissioners noted that if final bids or utility costs differ, additional approvals or a special meeting may be necessary.

Board members repeatedly emphasized that delays increase costs, with staff noting construction estimates had risen since earlier planning and that waiting could add months and dollars to the schedule. The board approved the transportation awards and the IGA framework by voice vote.

The actions preserve momentum for multiple SPLOST and GDOT projects while leaving final contractual and funding details to staff negotiation with the City of McDonough and GDOT.