A Howard Road realignment project approved by the Coweta County Commission nearly a year ago was put on hold Dec. 15 when commissioners rejected the lowest bid after finding it overpriced.

The realignment is designed to straighten a curve on Howard Road in east Coweta to accommodate vehicles traveling at 35 miles per hour.

A portion of the road is situated in Senoia while the road section nearest to Ga. Highway 16 is situated in unincorporated Coweta County.

The lowest bid for the work was from McCoy Grading for $823,581. County staff recommended that commissioners reject the bid. Commissioners agreed, giving staff the ability to negotiate certain items with the bidder in an effort to reduce the total cost of the project.

County Director of Transportation and Engineering Tod Handley during the initial presentation a year ago said Howard Road serves as the primary employee and truck access for the Winpak plant in Senoia.

One section of Howard Road contains a horizontal curve that does not currently meet the design requirements for a 25 miles per hour roadway and trucks traveling through this section have difficulty maintaining their lane of travel, Handley said.

Handley said the project will include the realignment of the substandard horizontal curve to meet a minimum design speed of 35 miles per hour and a culvert design for a stream crossing that also occurs in this section of roadway.

The project will begin approximately 1,600 feet north of Hwy. 16 and end approximately 500 feet north of Cumberland Trail.