No expansion of the Veterans Memorial Parkway

The parkway extension at Hwy. 301 North will be an access road to Bulloch County Correctional Institute

Road construction at Veterans Memorial Parkway and Hwy. 301 North Credit: Grice Connect

Grice Connect continues to receive questions regarding what seems to be an expansion of the Veterans Memorial Parkway. The parkway, which was designed as a bypass for traffic around the city, was opened in 2008. It was designed to dead end at Hwy. 301 North on the east side and Hwy. 80 West on the west side of the city.

The Veterans Memorial Parkway currently ends on the east side of town at the intersection of Hwy. 301 North. Construction crews have been working on what seems like a possible extension of the bypass.

To add to the confusion on the matter even more, on Lakeview Road near the landfill, a large tract of land has been cleared, and active construction is under way there as well.

The Lakeview construction site is for a new subdivision, and the Hwy. 301 North construction is for an extension of the road, however a very short extension. This will become the new entrance to the Bulloch County Correctional Institute.

Bulloch County Correctional Institute Access Road

Dink Butler, Director of Bulloch County Public Works confirmed to Grice Connect that this construction of the intersection of Hwy. 301 North and the Veterans Memorial Parkway is an access road. The road will allow better access to the Bulloch County Correctional Institute (BCCI).

Much of the initial site prep has been completed according to Butler, but they have paused construction waiting on GDOT to update the traffic signals at the intersection to accommodate traffic for the short extension. They do not have a projected completion date at this time.

Fern Hill Farms subdivision on Lakeview

The construction on Lakeview just north of the landfill is for Fern Hill Farms subdivision. The 80-home subdivision is being developed by local developers Lisa Hodges and Stephen Sauers. This land was annexed into the city and was selected for the City of Statesboro's Subdivision Incentive Program. The program incentivises developers to build more single family homes inside the city.

parkway — Red Fern Hill construction site on Lakeview Road

The incentive program will provide an amount equivalent to $10,000 per lot for public infrastructure but not to exceed actual cost of construction as competitively bid. The total incentive package is $800,000.