See updates on more than $1.2 billion in infrastructure projects around Columbus
City officials addressed the slow construction on road projects and shared updates on the new Judicial Center this week, part of the more than $1.2 billion in infrastructure projects happening around Columbus.
Director of Engineering Vance Beck, Director of Inspections and Code Ryan Pruett and Director of Planning Will Johnson presented the updates to the Columbus Council during its Tuesday meeting.
At the same meeting, Deputy City Manager Pam Hodge promised a spreadsheet with quarterly updates will be made available to the public.
There are more than $1.2 billion in infrastructure projects ongoing in the city, Hodge told the Ledger-Enquirer on Friday.
Funding for these projects has come from various sources, including:
- 2012 and 2022 Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST)
- TSPLOST Discretionary Funds
- Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) 2021
- Other Local Option Sales Tax (OLOST) Infrastructure Fund
- Stormwater Fund
- Paving Fund
- Georgia Department of Transportation
- Private donations and public-private partnerships
- Columbus Building Authority bonds
Transportation
• Beck reported the Williams Road/Forston Road roundabout is complete. The last step is installing new lighting.
• The Flood Abatement Project 19th Street System, which runs on the west side of Veterans Parkway from Apex Road to the flood basin near 29th Street, is about 60% complete.
• Beck said utility conflicts have slowed work on the Buena Vista Road project.
• The I-185/Cusseta Road interchange is 79% complete, he said. Construction for the new on-ramps is moving quickly, Beck said, but utility work has slowed construction on Cusseta Road. This interchange is expected to be completed by Spring 2027.
• Work on the SR 1/US 27 widening is about 50% complete, he said, and is estimated to be completed next summer. Utilities are also slowing down this project, Beck said.
• The widening of Whitesville Road will take it from two lanes to three lanes with intersection improvements or roundabouts, starting from the bridge over JR Allen Parkway and ending at Williams Road. There will also be a sidewalk and multiuse trail. The budget for this upcoming project is $12.8 million. The start of construction is at least one year away.
• There were 24.8 miles of roads resurfaced in fiscal year 2025, according to the presentation, costing $3.5 million. In fiscal year 2026, 26.5 miles of roads are on the list to be resurfaced, which would cost $4.5 million.
Facilities
The Judicial Center is on schedule for completion in 2026, Pruett said. The exterior skin is 95% complete, he said, and only needs the “finishing touches.”
A permanent elevator is now operational, Pruett said, and permanent power has been on in the building for several months.
While there’s not as much work happening on the outside of the building, he said, there are more than 200 people working on the building every day.
Crews are working on the interior finishes. The front doors of the court have wood paneling, which pays homage to similar detailing in the current courthouse. It will also have a digital docketing display that will function like airport monitors, displaying the court case, party name, case number, hearing time and what floor the courtroom is on, Pruett said.
“It should make navigation a lot easier for the public and other folks coming in for court,” he said.
With completion expected this year, discussions on moving departments and courts into the new building have already begun.
The schematic design process for the new Muscogee County Jail is complete, Pruett reported. An update will be provided to the council in April.
The design process for Uptown Pickleball is complete, he said, and initial pricing will be submitted in April.
Construction will start on the Britt David Splash Pad this month, according to the presentation, and the Bibb City Splash Pad is under design.
See the tables below for all available information on infrastructure projects in Columbus.
