The long-anticipated traffic light at Timber Trail Road and Highway 144 could be delayed until Memorial Day, members of the Bryan County Commission learned at Tuesday’s meeting in Pembroke.

The $500,000 project was initially expected to be complete by the middle of April, but it has hit a few snags.

“Construction there is ongoing,” County Engineer Kirk Croasmun told commissioners. “But it’s not moving as fast as we’d like.”

Among the holdups are additional work on moving water lines and repair of Timber Trial Road, which is within Richmond Hill’s corporate limits, to bring it up the city’s standards.

The extra work is expected to add about $50,000 to the bottom line as well, Croasmun said.

The project is among a of a number of improvements slated for 144, which currently averages a traffic count of about 11,000 cars a day, according to the DOT.

That number is expected to increase substantially, with the DOT estimating more than 30,000 in the coming decades.

Among others in the works are a dedicated right-turn lane at Highway 144 and Highway 17 North and the widening of 144 from Timber Trial to Belfast Siding Road.

Work on the former could get under way this year. Work on the widening of 144 is expected to begin in earnest with the acquiring of right of way in 2015.

The project was one of several discussed at Tuesday’s meeting. County commissioners also approved awarding a $609,120 bid to Seaboard Construction for work on the county’s land application system off Belvedere Road in South Bryan.

The bid was one of two received. McLendon Enterprises bid was more than $869,000.

The spray field will serve the county’s wastewater treatment facility at WaterWays Township.
Commissioners also learned the county came in under budget in 2013, according to County Administrator Ray Pittman.

The county had an overall budget of $17.5 million last year, but spent only $16.4 million.