Officials Break Ground on SR17 Widening
By Charlie Bauder, WNEG Radio, Toccoa
From Hartwell, Governor Deal made his way to the Currahee Campus of North Georgia Technical College in Stephens County to officially break ground on the widening of SR17.
Deal told the crowd of state and local officials Wednesday a four-lane highway from Toccoa to I-85 will improve accessibility to this part of the state, which he says is key to economic development.
In addition, Governor Deal announced that SR17 has been placed on the state’s official “Freight Corridor Network,” which the State Transportation Board adopted last week. Deal says the Freight Corridor Network allows the state to prioritize projects in order to funnel state transportation resources and funding.
Work to clear the route for the new SR17 began in June. C.W. Matthews Contracting of Marietta is constructing the project at a cost of $66.2 million.
The entire project is scheduled to be completed by May 31, 2016.