March 12, 2025 • 23 mins
When construction on Highway 9 stopped last summer, Milton residents noticed. What they couldn't see was the extraordinary opportunity emerging from this unexpected pause. In this revealing conversation with Public Works Director Sara Leaders, we explore how Milton turned a challenge into a chance to shape the future of this vital corridor.
What initially seemed like a setback has evolved into something remarkable: Milton gaining more influence over a state highway project. Through persistent advocacy from city leadership and a productive partnership with GDOT, the city now has the ability to help reimagine Highway 9 as more than just a transportation corridor—it will be a thoughtfully designed community asset, integrated with the more extensive Deerfield planning efforts.
Leaders walks us through the exciting possibilities of this arrangement. While still working within GDOT parameters and funding, Milton can now apply "context-sensitive design" principles that wouldn’t typically be possible under standard state highway protocols. With consultants coming on board and public presentations expected sometime this year, this project represents not just infrastructure development but a statement about Milton’s values and vision for its future. As Leaders notes, "We have a different idea of what we want than what the state necessarily sees on a road project," and now, Milton has the opportunity to bring that vision to life.
Subscribe to Milton and Mane to follow this developing story as we continue tracking the Highway 9 transformation and other important issues shaping our community's future.
With the community in mind, this podcast explores the stories, people, and initiatives that make our community unique. Each episode offers insights into local government, highlights Milton's history and future developments, and showcases the vibrant arts, culture, and sustainability efforts shaping our city. Join the conversation, celebrate our community, and discover how we're building a better Milton together.
Do you have an idea for an episode or would like to request a specific topic to be covered? Email Christy Weeks, christy.weeks@miltonga.gov
Learn more about the City of Milton at www.miltonga.gov.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to Milton and Maine, the official podcast for
the city of Milton.
We want to bring you closer tothe heart of our community
through stories that inform,inspire and connect.
Each episode offers abehind-the-scenes look at the
people, projects and prioritiesshaping Milton, covering
everything from local governmentand future development to arts,
culture, sustainability andpublic safety.
(00:30):
Whether you're a resident, alocal business owner or just
curious about our city, this isyour front row seat to what
makes Milton special.
Welcome everyone.
I'm your host, christy Weeks,and today we have a very
important topic to discuss, onethat impacts the daily lives of
our residents and businesses.
We're talking about a majorinfrastructure project that
recently experienced someunexpected changes the GDOT
(00:53):
Highway 9 project.
If you've noticed a pause inconstruction, you're not alone.
There have been somedevelopments that we want to
break down for you today.
The mayor did give a quickupdate in his state of the city,
but we're going to get a littledeeper into this with our guest
.
It's Milton's Public WorksDirector, sarah Leaders.
Sarah, thank you so much forbeing here.
Thank you, christy, for havingme.
(01:14):
It's going to be a good one.
I'm ready.
So let's start by addressing Iguess you could say the elephant
in the room.
Construction on this GDOTproject has come to a halt.
Can you walk us through whatexactly happened?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Sure.
So this project actuallystarted design nearly a decade
ago.
It's a lengthy process to getfrom when a project is initiated
and created to when it actuallygoes to construction, and then
that takes multiple years tocomplete.
So this one has been visionedand in the works for, like I
(01:50):
said, nearly a decade.
In December of 2023, georgiaDOT we'll refer to them as GDOT
throughout this conversationthey put out a bid which
provided final plans.
It had all the quantitiesneeded for the project, so
that's what's called a bid forconstruction.
And in December of 2023 is whenthey received the bids back
(02:14):
from contractors and they, likethe city, always select the
lowest qualified bidder based onthose results.
So they went through thecontract process of awarding the
construction contract andconstruction started in late
spring, summer of 2024.
And that started with puttingup barrier fences and just
(02:38):
getting the project established,putting up construction signage
and some basic erosion controlAll the pretty orange stuff,
orange barrels yes, exactlyRight.
And then in June I checked backon the dates it was in June of
2024.
Gdot notified the city thatthere had been some issues with
(02:58):
the property that was acquiredfor the project and they were
going to need to haltconstruction.
So as they looked into itfurther, they found out that
right-of-way so what that is isit is land that's owned by the
city or the state that servicesholding the roadway, holding
sidewalk, not just the roadway,it's a footprint beyond that to
(03:21):
hold all public utilities aswell as the roadway.
So there's right-of-way andthen there's easements that are
needed for a project, so they'reacquired together from any of
the property owners that areimpacted.
So the right-of-way on theproject had not been acquired
and the records had beenfalsified to show that it had
(03:43):
been acquired.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Oh my goodness, that's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
There were around 140 parcels on the project and I
think maybe five had actuallybeen acquired and the rest of
the records had shown they wereacquired but they had not been
purchased.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Oh my, that's unbelievable.
I knew there was somethinggoing on.
I'm going to get the most outof this episode because it's
bringing me up to speed.
I'm new to the city, so priorto July I had no idea what had
happened.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
I knew there was something going on, but so their
main goal, following thatfinding, was to clean up the
disturbance at that point, theareas where there were about 40
parcels that had been encroachedupon, where they out without
permission without permission,and so they went through the
(04:35):
effort.
The city stepped in to assistwith helping getting contact
information for these propertyowners to explain what happened
and to get permission, basicallyto clean it up right was the
first step and that's inprogress now.
That is wrapping up now withthose, those final efforts of
the sod and the fence repair arethe last outstanding items on
(05:00):
that cleanup effort so, withconstruction at a standstill,
going forward with the projectbecause we're in cleanup phase,
there was a big decision thatwas recently made.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Milton has now taken over portions of the project.
Is that correct, ish?
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Right, we're in the process of getting everything
finalized to set us up to takeover managing the various phases
of the project.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
So walk us through what led to that decision and
where we are in the process atthis point.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
So it's unique that we had the Deerfield
implementation plan underway.
That plan, the proposal, waswritten that there was a
component that was coordinatingwith the Highway 9 widening
project.
So we at the time we put thatout for bid we thought the
coordination would be what kindof things can we do in
construction to make this a moreMilton-esque?
Speaker 1 (06:00):
corridor.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
There we go.
So we knew there would beinteractions between that plan
and the project and we'd been indiscussions with GDOT about
what kind of things we couldlook at since the project was
under construction, and thatreally helped us set the stage,
for we have a different visionfor this area than the state
(06:24):
necessarily does.
Absolutely.
Their primary vision is to getvehicles safely through the
state route system and ours is alittle bit different.
We want to make it, as the termhas been made, a destination
Deerfield, because this was suchan important area of the city
(06:44):
and part of the planning that'scurrently going on.
The mayor was able to getassistance from Speaker Pro Tem,
jan Jones, and Jan Jones andthe mayor arranged a meeting
with key GDOT staff.
The chief engineer came to CityHall to meet with us in person,
and the mayor and Jan Joneswere there as well, and we had
(07:05):
that meeting in August.
Following that, city staff metwith GDOT to start talking about
the things that were brought upin that meeting.
We mentioned all the elementsthat were important to us on the
project and so we had somediscussions with staff on what
can we incorporate now that wehave an opportunity with the
(07:26):
rework of the project.
There was going to have to besome new design plans drawn up,
so we wanted to take advantageof that opportunity and to bring
in the elements that wereimportant to us.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Which is fair.
It was a great opportunity toopen that door and for y'all to
step in and express your doorand for y'all to step in and
express your needs.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Absolutely so.
Following that, there werevarious letters prepared by the
mayor that reiterated our pointsof concern and our requested
considerations for the project.
Following those letters, JanJones and the mayor continued
discussions with GDOT.
They continued meeting withvarious staff there to continue
(08:07):
advocating for our interests andthen in late 2024, the chief
engineer arranged a meeting withcity staff where GDOT actually
proposed an option that the citytake over management of the
various components of theproject Beautiful.
That was exactly what we werehoping for.
It gave us the most controlover what features we wanted to
(08:30):
be included in the project Right.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
So when you're talking about and I'm going to
kind of cross over into a littlebit of the Deerfield
implementation plan, how much ofthat are you able to include in
this GDOT thing?
I guess we could kind of lookat that type of information when
we're talking about the scopeof work and how much those two
(08:55):
are married together, because itsounds like they're kind of
going hand in hand along the way.
And I know that there's been alot of opportunity for the
Deerfield implementation plan toget feedback from citizens.
So am I crossing too many lineshere and getting into a gray
area?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
No, that does make sense and there will be
opportunities, especially wherethere's new developments, where
we can look at what thedevelopment's proposing and what
the project's proposing andhave those two align better,
when in the previous case itwould have just been the project
will build and then thedeveloper can and we get.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
We go with what is already predetermined and preset
and then we adjust around itand now we have the opportunity
to kind of make those twoprojects line up a bit better.
We do, yes, wow, what does thatscope of work look like for us?
I know the timeline might be.
We'll talk about timeline in aminute.
Let's get the scope first.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
So initially we worded it as and these were
actually the words from thechief engineer is that the city
has a different idea of what wewant than what the state
necessarily what they typicallysee on a road project.
So we have a chance to reduceimpacts where feasible.
So some of those easements Iwas talking about that it's, you
(10:18):
know, a set distance behind theright-of-way that's needed for
the project Well, we can take acloser look at those and see
where we can reduce them Ifthere's trees within those where
we want to save trees.
So, looking at the impactsoverall along the project, we
also, like I mentioned, plan towork with the proposed
(10:39):
developments to incorporate bothprojects into the design effort
so we're not redoing and we canhave them both complement each
other.
We use the termcontext-sensitive design and and
that's actually a GDOT term andwe plan to bring that up many
times during this project thatwe want to look at the
(10:59):
surroundings.
We want to look at the area andselect a design option that
best landscaping and some of thesoftscape, the sidewalks,
(11:19):
multi-use paths, walls.
We plan to look at somepossible protected pedestrian
crossings so it's not at asignal where you have vehicles
that are turning left and right,and not necessarily looking out
for pedestrians.
If we can get separatedpedestrian signals, that's going
to be.
A goal of ours is to look wherepeople would want to cross and
(11:42):
to give them the safest possiblecrossing opportunities of this
four-lane roadway.
From a roadway standpoint, wewould be looking at lane widths.
There's some flexibility inlooking at maybe a reduced
inside lane width.
We're going to look at roadwaygeometry and what that means is
(12:03):
it's the curves in the roadway,whether it's a vertical curve,
where you have a hill or a sag,or a horizontal curve, which is
where the roadway turns onedirection or another.
So there may be someopportunities to look at
changing the geometry a littlebit.
If it helps reduce some ofthose impacts.
(12:24):
We will have more flexibilityin the design on this effort.
It is still a state route, sowe do have to meet certain
standards and requirements ofGDOT.
They will still review ourplans and be part of the process
, but we're going to have muchmore involvement in it and be
able to present options thataren't typically considered on a
(12:48):
state route widening project.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
What a great partnership, though.
What a fortunate way to be ableto address the things that are
going on here in Milton andkeeping citizens and travel ways
and things like that inperspective that would better
suit the community as a wholeversus just getting one piece of
(13:12):
a state route taken care of.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Yes, oh, I did want to say so.
Back to the scope of theproject and just the
understanding that the city haswhen we expressed our full
support for managing the project.
We also want to thank GDOT fortheir partnership and their
support and entrusting us withthis opportunity.
We are a qualified agency tomanage federal money, so we do
have some projects through GDOTthat have federal funds that
(13:38):
we've been successful inmanaging and have shown that we
understand the projects and theprocess.
So did want to offer thatthanks to GDOT and, like you
said, what a great partnershipand that they recognized this
opportunity for the city to beso involved.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I think it's fabulous and relatively I'm going to
guess rare.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
I would say so.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
So now let's jump into timeline and see where we
are.
I know things are details arestill being ironed out, but if
there's a general timeline wecan look at because the mayor
has mentioned a few in the pastand I want to check with you and
see what's what- sure.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
So the city plans to hire a consultant for both the
design and the land acquisitionon this project this summer.
Our goal and we're stillworking through the details with
the state is if we could havethe designer as well as the
acquisition team all part of theproject early on we can look
for opportunity to makeadjustments and understand the
(14:42):
impacts and to have both engaged.
We'll help the schedule as wellif we can get some of that
right-of-way acquisitionauthorization funding
authorization you keep thosemouths full At the same time as
the design.
That would benefit the scheduleand allow us to run a couple
things going at the same time.
So typically you don't startright-of-way acquisition until
(15:05):
your plans are nearly finalized.
But we want to bring both teamsin on the front end to get a
head start on it.
Again, we're still workingthrough the details we proposed.
That question to GDOT is can weget some of that funding
authorized sooner and is thereany issue with hiring both
agencies at the same time?
(15:25):
That's our goal is to begin thatprocurement for selecting a
consultant.
Their schedule will be veryimportant in their proposal.
You know how quickly can theyhit the ground running and turn
around various delivery pointsin the project and while we're
in the procurement stage, we'realso working on agreements with
(15:47):
GDOT that will outline our rolesand responsibilities.
They have agreements that setup the project funding and then
they're also going to have aseparate agreement with us that
relates to the specifics,because this is such a unique
situation.
So we expect the fundingagreement first sometime this
(16:08):
summer, and right now thefunding is proposed to be
authorized in GDOT's fiscal 26,which starts July 1st of 2025.
And that's as of right now.
We've asked if we were toadvance timelines, will funding
be available?
So we do still have someoutstanding questions.
We're working through with themon the timeline, but our goal
(16:32):
is to get our procurement goingand get a consultant selected
that will help us through thisprocess, make it a little
smoother, a little more cohesivealong the way, bridge those
gaps.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Yes, so you mentioned earlier that this whole plan
started a decade ago.
So knowing that there is a lotof time invested, I know the big
question that comes up quite abit is when will we see
construction start?
Random guesstimate on that atall.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
So typically the number of partials on this
project is a.
I believe it's a three-yearacquisition timeline.
But that's our hope is that wecan aggressively push the
schedule while still attainingour desired changes.
Not necessarily completelychange all the work that's been
done before, but look for allthe opportunities been done
(17:32):
before.
But look for all theopportunities.
Keep what we can.
Run that acquisition alongsidedesign as closely as we can,
given we still have to followthe GDOT process for
acquisitions.
So GDOT has stated that they'rewilling to let the city drive
the schedule on this project.
Funding is a piece of thatwhich they control when that's
authorized.
(17:52):
But our goal is to advance thatacquisition as much as we can.
We feel like we can get thedesign up to speed fairly
quickly and get at least part ofthe project identified that
this segment's ready foracquisition.
So it's going to be a challengeto split it up like that and we
do have to still get thestate's approval because they
(18:14):
are this is still a hundredpercent state funded, so there
are checkpoints and I wouldexpect no less.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
I mean pretty standard Um, but what an
opportunity for Milton to getinvolved.
So, along those same lines,aside from what you've already
put forth, are there anysignificant changes the
community should be aware of?
Speaker 2 (18:38):
I mean, I think we've already kind of covered the
timeline and how we're goingabout it, but as far as the
community any impacts, so ourfirst step with our consultant
will be updating the concept,and the concept's what lays out
all the basis of the project andthen we get into the detailed
design.
So by updating the concept inthat stage, we do plan to go
(19:01):
back to the public with thatupdated concept and that'll show
every major change we'reproposing to the original design
.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
That's great, I mean.
I think people want to knowwhat's going on along the way,
and to have them have theopportunity to participate and
express their opinions isincredibly valuable.
When will plans be shared withthe public, because you just
kind of opened that door alittle bit, talking about
redesigning the plans and havingthem available.
(19:32):
What are you thinking?
Is that going to be a 2026approach?
Speaker 2 (19:38):
I would say it would be aggressive to get it
completed, get that conceptupdated within the first six
months.
But that's a goal that I'd liketo push the consultant towards
is getting that concept updatein the first six months.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
No pressure there, so is there anything else you want
to share that's coming up onthis project?
You've kind of run a prettygood summary as everything
that's happened thus far.
Is there anything else weshould know about?
Speaker 2 (20:10):
everything that's happened thus far.
Is there anything else weshould know about?
I'd just say looking forcontinued opportunities with the
Deerfield plan, that that isgoing to heavily influence how
we move forward on the widening.
So staying engaged in that,staying involved in that as it
wraps up, will be a good way tobegin to contribute to what we
look at in the non-wideningproject.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
so, with that on the table, I just want to let the
listeners know that there is animmense amount of information on
our website regarding the deerfield implementation plan, where
we are at this point.
We, our communicationsdepartment, puts out regular
updates as to what's beingdiscussed in council, what the
resolutions are, what the statusis, and so, if you're
(20:56):
interested, please head over tothe website and I will be able
to put a link to the Deerfieldimplementation plan page in the
show notes, so it's pretty easyto find those details.
Sarah, is there anywhere wherewe're documenting the updates on
the Highway 9 project?
Speaker 2 (21:14):
We do plan to create a page, or either a project page
or a specific web page that isseparate from the GDOT does have
a project database, but we planto tailor one specifically to
our project as it gets ready tokick off.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Perfect, so we'll keep you guys updated on that.
This probably isn't the lasttime you'll hear Sarah Leaders
on here talking about theHighway 9 project.
I think this is a greatopportunity to keep the
information out in the open andbe able to answer any questions.
So if anybody has questions,feel free to send them over to
me and I'll sure to get them toSarah and maybe we can address
(21:52):
that in another episode.
But thank you, Sarah, forwalking us through these updates
.
I know our listeners appreciatethe transparency and effort
that goes into making theseprojects successful for Milton.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
We are really looking forward to this project, this
unique opportunity, and are justvery excited about the future
of State Route 9.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Yeah, stay tuned.
There's more details coming.
Before we wrap up, I want toremind you all that the
information will all be in ourshow notes.
If you are curious aboutanything going on in the city,
check out our website, check outour social media pages and, of
course, don't miss an episode.
Be sure you subscribe.
We are available on yourfavorite podcast platform.
(22:33):
Thanks again and stay tunedMore coming your way.
Thanks for listening to Miltonin Maine.
We hope this episode gave youfresh insights into what makes
our city so special.
Stay connected and don't missan episode by subscribing to
this podcast on your favoriteplatform and following us on
social media for all updates.
And, of course, if you want tolearn more about the city, visit
(22:56):
us online at wwwmiltongagov forresources, news and upcoming
events.
Until next time, thanks forbeing part of the conversation
and we'll see you on the nextMilton in Maine.
Welcome to Milton and Maine, the official podcast for
the city of Milton.
We want to bring you closer tothe heart of our community
through stories that inform,inspire and connect.
Each episode offers abehind-the-scenes look at the
people, projects and prioritiesshaping Milton, covering
everything from local governmentand future development to arts,
culture, sustainability andpublic safety.
(00:30):
Whether you're a resident, alocal business owner or just
curious about our city, this isyour front row seat to what
makes Milton special.
Welcome everyone.
I'm your host, christy Weeks,and today we have a very
important topic to discuss, onethat impacts the daily lives of
our residents and businesses.
We're talking about a majorinfrastructure project that
recently experienced someunexpected changes the GDOT
(00:53):
Highway 9 project.
If you've noticed a pause inconstruction, you're not alone.
There have been somedevelopments that we want to
break down for you today.
The mayor did give a quickupdate in his state of the city,
but we're going to get a littledeeper into this with our guest
.
It's Milton's Public WorksDirector, sarah Leaders.
Sarah, thank you so much forbeing here.
Thank you, christy, for havingme.
(01:14):
It's going to be a good one.
I'm ready.
So let's start by addressing Iguess you could say the elephant
in the room.
Construction on this GDOTproject has come to a halt.
Can you walk us through whatexactly happened?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Sure.
So this project actuallystarted design nearly a decade
ago.
It's a lengthy process to getfrom when a project is initiated
and created to when it actuallygoes to construction, and then
that takes multiple years tocomplete.
So this one has been visionedand in the works for, like I
(01:50):
said, nearly a decade.
In December of 2023, georgiaDOT we'll refer to them as GDOT
throughout this conversationthey put out a bid which
provided final plans.
It had all the quantitiesneeded for the project, so
that's what's called a bid forconstruction.
And in December of 2023 is whenthey received the bids back
(02:14):
from contractors and they, likethe city, always select the
lowest qualified bidder based onthose results.
So they went through thecontract process of awarding the
construction contract andconstruction started in late
spring, summer of 2024.
And that started with puttingup barrier fences and just
(02:38):
getting the project established,putting up construction signage
and some basic erosion controlAll the pretty orange stuff,
orange barrels yes, exactlyRight.
And then in June I checked backon the dates it was in June of
2024.
Gdot notified the city thatthere had been some issues with
(02:58):
the property that was acquiredfor the project and they were
going to need to haltconstruction.
So as they looked into itfurther, they found out that
right-of-way so what that is isit is land that's owned by the
city or the state that servicesholding the roadway, holding
sidewalk, not just the roadway,it's a footprint beyond that to
(03:21):
hold all public utilities aswell as the roadway.
So there's right-of-way andthen there's easements that are
needed for a project, so they'reacquired together from any of
the property owners that areimpacted.
So the right-of-way on theproject had not been acquired
and the records had beenfalsified to show that it had
(03:43):
been acquired.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Oh my goodness, that's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
There were around 140 parcels on the project and I
think maybe five had actuallybeen acquired and the rest of
the records had shown they wereacquired but they had not been
purchased.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Oh my, that's unbelievable.
I knew there was somethinggoing on.
I'm going to get the most outof this episode because it's
bringing me up to speed.
I'm new to the city, so priorto July I had no idea what had
happened.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
I knew there was something going on, but so their
main goal, following thatfinding, was to clean up the
disturbance at that point, theareas where there were about 40
parcels that had been encroachedupon, where they out without
permission without permission,and so they went through the
(04:35):
effort.
The city stepped in to assistwith helping getting contact
information for these propertyowners to explain what happened
and to get permission, basicallyto clean it up right was the
first step and that's inprogress now.
That is wrapping up now withthose, those final efforts of
the sod and the fence repair arethe last outstanding items on
(05:00):
that cleanup effort so, withconstruction at a standstill,
going forward with the projectbecause we're in cleanup phase,
there was a big decision thatwas recently made.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Milton has now taken over portions of the project.
Is that correct, ish?
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Right, we're in the process of getting everything
finalized to set us up to takeover managing the various phases
of the project.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
So walk us through what led to that decision and
where we are in the process atthis point.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
So it's unique that we had the Deerfield
implementation plan underway.
That plan, the proposal, waswritten that there was a
component that was coordinatingwith the Highway 9 widening
project.
So we at the time we put thatout for bid we thought the
coordination would be what kindof things can we do in
construction to make this a moreMilton-esque?
Speaker 1 (06:00):
corridor.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
There we go.
So we knew there would beinteractions between that plan
and the project and we'd been indiscussions with GDOT about
what kind of things we couldlook at since the project was
under construction, and thatreally helped us set the stage,
for we have a different visionfor this area than the state
(06:24):
necessarily does.
Absolutely.
Their primary vision is to getvehicles safely through the
state route system and ours is alittle bit different.
We want to make it, as the termhas been made, a destination
Deerfield, because this was suchan important area of the city
(06:44):
and part of the planning that'scurrently going on.
The mayor was able to getassistance from Speaker Pro Tem,
jan Jones, and Jan Jones andthe mayor arranged a meeting
with key GDOT staff.
The chief engineer came to CityHall to meet with us in person,
and the mayor and Jan Joneswere there as well, and we had
(07:05):
that meeting in August.
Following that, city staff metwith GDOT to start talking about
the things that were brought upin that meeting.
We mentioned all the elementsthat were important to us on the
project and so we had somediscussions with staff on what
can we incorporate now that wehave an opportunity with the
(07:26):
rework of the project.
There was going to have to besome new design plans drawn up,
so we wanted to take advantageof that opportunity and to bring
in the elements that wereimportant to us.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Which is fair.
It was a great opportunity toopen that door and for y'all to
step in and express your doorand for y'all to step in and
express your needs.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Absolutely so.
Following that, there werevarious letters prepared by the
mayor that reiterated our pointsof concern and our requested
considerations for the project.
Following those letters, JanJones and the mayor continued
discussions with GDOT.
They continued meeting withvarious staff there to continue
(08:07):
advocating for our interests andthen in late 2024, the chief
engineer arranged a meeting withcity staff where GDOT actually
proposed an option that the citytake over management of the
various components of theproject Beautiful.
That was exactly what we werehoping for.
It gave us the most controlover what features we wanted to
(08:30):
be included in the project Right.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
So when you're talking about and I'm going to
kind of cross over into a littlebit of the Deerfield
implementation plan, how much ofthat are you able to include in
this GDOT thing?
I guess we could kind of lookat that type of information when
we're talking about the scopeof work and how much those two
(08:55):
are married together, because itsounds like they're kind of
going hand in hand along the way.
And I know that there's been alot of opportunity for the
Deerfield implementation plan toget feedback from citizens.
So am I crossing too many lineshere and getting into a gray
area?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
No, that does make sense and there will be
opportunities, especially wherethere's new developments, where
we can look at what thedevelopment's proposing and what
the project's proposing andhave those two align better,
when in the previous case itwould have just been the project
will build and then thedeveloper can and we get.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
We go with what is already predetermined and preset
and then we adjust around itand now we have the opportunity
to kind of make those twoprojects line up a bit better.
We do, yes, wow, what does thatscope of work look like for us?
I know the timeline might be.
We'll talk about timeline in aminute.
Let's get the scope first.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
So initially we worded it as and these were
actually the words from thechief engineer is that the city
has a different idea of what wewant than what the state
necessarily what they typicallysee on a road project.
So we have a chance to reduceimpacts where feasible.
So some of those easements Iwas talking about that it's, you
(10:18):
know, a set distance behind theright-of-way that's needed for
the project Well, we can take acloser look at those and see
where we can reduce them Ifthere's trees within those where
we want to save trees.
So, looking at the impactsoverall along the project, we
also, like I mentioned, plan towork with the proposed
(10:39):
developments to incorporate bothprojects into the design effort
so we're not redoing and we canhave them both complement each
other.
We use the termcontext-sensitive design and and
that's actually a GDOT term andwe plan to bring that up many
times during this project thatwe want to look at the
(10:59):
surroundings.
We want to look at the area andselect a design option that
best landscaping and some of thesoftscape, the sidewalks,
(11:19):
multi-use paths, walls.
We plan to look at somepossible protected pedestrian
crossings so it's not at asignal where you have vehicles
that are turning left and right,and not necessarily looking out
for pedestrians.
If we can get separatedpedestrian signals, that's going
to be.
A goal of ours is to look wherepeople would want to cross and
(11:42):
to give them the safest possiblecrossing opportunities of this
four-lane roadway.
From a roadway standpoint, wewould be looking at lane widths.
There's some flexibility inlooking at maybe a reduced
inside lane width.
We're going to look at roadwaygeometry and what that means is
(12:03):
it's the curves in the roadway,whether it's a vertical curve,
where you have a hill or a sag,or a horizontal curve, which is
where the roadway turns onedirection or another.
So there may be someopportunities to look at
changing the geometry a littlebit.
If it helps reduce some ofthose impacts.
(12:24):
We will have more flexibilityin the design on this effort.
It is still a state route, sowe do have to meet certain
standards and requirements ofGDOT.
They will still review ourplans and be part of the process
, but we're going to have muchmore involvement in it and be
able to present options thataren't typically considered on a
(12:48):
state route widening project.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
What a great partnership, though.
What a fortunate way to be ableto address the things that are
going on here in Milton andkeeping citizens and travel ways
and things like that inperspective that would better
suit the community as a wholeversus just getting one piece of
(13:12):
a state route taken care of.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Yes, oh, I did want to say so.
Back to the scope of theproject and just the
understanding that the city haswhen we expressed our full
support for managing the project.
We also want to thank GDOT fortheir partnership and their
support and entrusting us withthis opportunity.
We are a qualified agency tomanage federal money, so we do
have some projects through GDOTthat have federal funds that
(13:38):
we've been successful inmanaging and have shown that we
understand the projects and theprocess.
So did want to offer thatthanks to GDOT and, like you
said, what a great partnershipand that they recognized this
opportunity for the city to beso involved.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I think it's fabulous and relatively I'm going to
guess rare.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
I would say so.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
So now let's jump into timeline and see where we
are.
I know things are details arestill being ironed out, but if
there's a general timeline wecan look at because the mayor
has mentioned a few in the pastand I want to check with you and
see what's what- sure.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
So the city plans to hire a consultant for both the
design and the land acquisitionon this project this summer.
Our goal and we're stillworking through the details with
the state is if we could havethe designer as well as the
acquisition team all part of theproject early on we can look
for opportunity to makeadjustments and understand the
(14:42):
impacts and to have both engaged.
We'll help the schedule as wellif we can get some of that
right-of-way acquisitionauthorization funding
authorization you keep thosemouths full At the same time as
the design.
That would benefit the scheduleand allow us to run a couple
things going at the same time.
So typically you don't startright-of-way acquisition until
(15:05):
your plans are nearly finalized.
But we want to bring both teamsin on the front end to get a
head start on it.
Again, we're still workingthrough the details we proposed.
That question to GDOT is can weget some of that funding
authorized sooner and is thereany issue with hiring both
agencies at the same time?
(15:25):
That's our goal is to begin thatprocurement for selecting a
consultant.
Their schedule will be veryimportant in their proposal.
You know how quickly can theyhit the ground running and turn
around various delivery pointsin the project and while we're
in the procurement stage, we'realso working on agreements with
(15:47):
GDOT that will outline our rolesand responsibilities.
They have agreements that setup the project funding and then
they're also going to have aseparate agreement with us that
relates to the specifics,because this is such a unique
situation.
So we expect the fundingagreement first sometime this
(16:08):
summer, and right now thefunding is proposed to be
authorized in GDOT's fiscal 26,which starts July 1st of 2025.
And that's as of right now.
We've asked if we were toadvance timelines, will funding
be available?
So we do still have someoutstanding questions.
We're working through with themon the timeline, but our goal
(16:32):
is to get our procurement goingand get a consultant selected
that will help us through thisprocess, make it a little
smoother, a little more cohesivealong the way, bridge those
gaps.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Yes, so you mentioned earlier that this whole plan
started a decade ago.
So knowing that there is a lotof time invested, I know the big
question that comes up quite abit is when will we see
construction start?
Random guesstimate on that atall.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
So typically the number of partials on this
project is a.
I believe it's a three-yearacquisition timeline.
But that's our hope is that wecan aggressively push the
schedule while still attainingour desired changes.
Not necessarily completelychange all the work that's been
done before, but look for allthe opportunities been done
(17:32):
before.
But look for all theopportunities.
Keep what we can.
Run that acquisition alongsidedesign as closely as we can,
given we still have to followthe GDOT process for
acquisitions.
So GDOT has stated that they'rewilling to let the city drive
the schedule on this project.
Funding is a piece of thatwhich they control when that's
authorized.
(17:52):
But our goal is to advance thatacquisition as much as we can.
We feel like we can get thedesign up to speed fairly
quickly and get at least part ofthe project identified that
this segment's ready foracquisition.
So it's going to be a challengeto split it up like that and we
do have to still get thestate's approval because they
(18:14):
are this is still a hundredpercent state funded, so there
are checkpoints and I wouldexpect no less.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
I mean pretty standard Um, but what an
opportunity for Milton to getinvolved.
So, along those same lines,aside from what you've already
put forth, are there anysignificant changes the
community should be aware of?
Speaker 2 (18:38):
I mean, I think we've already kind of covered the
timeline and how we're goingabout it, but as far as the
community any impacts, so ourfirst step with our consultant
will be updating the concept,and the concept's what lays out
all the basis of the project andthen we get into the detailed
design.
So by updating the concept inthat stage, we do plan to go
(19:01):
back to the public with thatupdated concept and that'll show
every major change we'reproposing to the original design
.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
That's great, I mean.
I think people want to knowwhat's going on along the way,
and to have them have theopportunity to participate and
express their opinions isincredibly valuable.
When will plans be shared withthe public, because you just
kind of opened that door alittle bit, talking about
redesigning the plans and havingthem available.
(19:32):
What are you thinking?
Is that going to be a 2026approach?
Speaker 2 (19:38):
I would say it would be aggressive to get it
completed, get that conceptupdated within the first six
months.
But that's a goal that I'd liketo push the consultant towards
is getting that concept updatein the first six months.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
No pressure there, so is there anything else you want
to share that's coming up onthis project?
You've kind of run a prettygood summary as everything
that's happened thus far.
Is there anything else weshould know about?
Speaker 2 (20:10):
everything that's happened thus far.
Is there anything else weshould know about?
I'd just say looking forcontinued opportunities with the
Deerfield plan, that that isgoing to heavily influence how
we move forward on the widening.
So staying engaged in that,staying involved in that as it
wraps up, will be a good way tobegin to contribute to what we
look at in the non-wideningproject.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
so, with that on the table, I just want to let the
listeners know that there is animmense amount of information on
our website regarding the deerfield implementation plan, where
we are at this point.
We, our communicationsdepartment, puts out regular
updates as to what's beingdiscussed in council, what the
resolutions are, what the statusis, and so, if you're
(20:56):
interested, please head over tothe website and I will be able
to put a link to the Deerfieldimplementation plan page in the
show notes, so it's pretty easyto find those details.
Sarah, is there anywhere wherewe're documenting the updates on
the Highway 9 project?
Speaker 2 (21:14):
We do plan to create a page, or either a project page
or a specific web page that isseparate from the GDOT does have
a project database, but we planto tailor one specifically to
our project as it gets ready tokick off.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Perfect, so we'll keep you guys updated on that.
This probably isn't the lasttime you'll hear Sarah Leaders
on here talking about theHighway 9 project.
I think this is a greatopportunity to keep the
information out in the open andbe able to answer any questions.
So if anybody has questions,feel free to send them over to
me and I'll sure to get them toSarah and maybe we can address
(21:52):
that in another episode.
But thank you, Sarah, forwalking us through these updates
.
I know our listeners appreciatethe transparency and effort
that goes into making theseprojects successful for Milton.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
We are really looking forward to this project, this
unique opportunity, and are justvery excited about the future
of State Route 9.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Yeah, stay tuned.
There's more details coming.
Before we wrap up, I want toremind you all that the
information will all be in ourshow notes.
If you are curious aboutanything going on in the city,
check out our website, check outour social media pages and, of
course, don't miss an episode.
Be sure you subscribe.
We are available on yourfavorite podcast platform.
(22:33):
Thanks again and stay tunedMore coming your way.
Thanks for listening to Miltonin Maine.
We hope this episode gave youfresh insights into what makes
our city so special.
Stay connected and don't missan episode by subscribing to
this podcast on your favoriteplatform and following us on
social media for all updates.
And, of course, if you want tolearn more about the city, visit
(22:56):
us online at wwwmiltongagov forresources, news and upcoming
events.
Until next time, thanks forbeing part of the conversation
and we'll see you on the nextMilton in Maine.
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