SR 61 Widening from CR 467/Dallas-Nebo Road to US 278 in Paulding County – Project #0013702

FAST FACTS

GDOT Project #: 00013702 / PA-061C1
Type: Reconstruction/Rehabilitation
Project Length: 4.3 miles
Affected Counties: Paulding
Condemning Authority: GDOT
Estimated Affected Parcels: 149
Estimated Cost: $59,473,134
Right-of-Way Funds: $11,994,000

Description

GDOT proposes to widen and reconstruct 4.3 miles of SR 61 between CR 467 (Dallas-Nebo Road) to US 278/SR 120/SR 6/Dallas Bypass in Paulding County. GDOT claims that this project is needed to provide additional capacity required for future growth in the area since SR 61 is the only continuous north-south corridor that links Dallas to Cartersville (north) and I-20 (south). The stated purpose of the project is to ease traffic congestions and decrease crash frequency and/or severity along this corridor.

If you have property on or along this portion of SR 61, you need to be informed and ready when GDOT gives you an offer for it. While this project is intended to improve safety and increase capacity for the area, the process, construction, and resulting traffic patterns may significantly affect your property.

Planned improvements from just south of CR 467 (Dallas Nebo Road) for 1 mile north include:

Two 11-foot lanes in each direction
A variable width flush median
A 12-foot urban shoulder with a 5-foot sidewalks

Planned improvements for the rest of the project include:

Two 11-foot lanes in each direction
A 20-foot raised median
A 12-foot urban shoulder with 5-foot sidewalks

The following project information was provided in the Atlanta Region’s Plan RTP (2020):

Project Phase	Amount	Program Year
Preliminary Engineering	$ 3,200,000	2016, 2023
Right of Way	$11,994,000	2019
Utilities	$ 3,727,602	2025
Construction	$40,551,532	2025
Total	$59,473,134

Business and Homeowner Concerns

The power of eminent domain gives the government the right to take your property for a project that will benefit the public good. However, the Fifth Amendment requires GDOT to make you an offer of just compensation for your property.

GDOT, like most buyers, is motivated to purchase property as affordably as possible and may not include items, such as relocation expenses and lost business income, in the initial offer. We can help you identify if the GDOT offer is low, and we can help you fight for just compensation!

Many GDOT projects involve temporary, permanent, and utility easements, which can be very tricky from a property rights standpoint. We can help you here, as well. We often enlist the assistance of professional surveyors, appraisers, and land engineers to estimate the impacts of the GDOT taking of your property – and we front these costs.

Contact us if you believe your property may be affected by GDOT’s plans for the SR 61 road project in Paulding County, and we can discuss your circumstances.

What to Do if Your Property Is Affected

You have rights even though the government can take your land. GDOT has set aside an estimated $11,944,000 for right-of-way acquisition in 2019 for this project – but there may be surrounding circumstances that could complicate matters. We urge you to consult with an EMD attorney prior to accepting any GDOT offer.

You have the right to fair compensation. Remember: the initial offer is just the beginning – as long as you do not accept it. We can help you fight for more. Call 1-888-391-1339 or contact us as soon as possible for a complimentary case evaluation.

We guarantee our clients that we will not touch the government’s initial offer amount, and we will only take an attorney’s fee if we can increase that starting offer amount. At that point, our fee is calculated as a percentage of the increased amount only. The initial offer amount is 100% yours – we don’t touch it.

And we front the costs of fighting your case. If, for some reason, we are unable to increase the government’s initial offer to you, we absorb those costs – not you. We set up the payment structure this way because we are confident in the experience and know how of our eminent domain team, and we believe that we can help you.

Why? Since we’ve been in business, we’ve tripled our clients’ initial offers on average.¹

News and Publications

None at this time.

Project Maps

Estimated Project Schedule

The proposed timeline for Project #0013702 in Paulding County as listed in the Atlanta Region’s Plan RTO (2020) FY 2020-2025 Transportation Improvement Program follows:

Preliminary Engineering – 2012, 2023

Right of Way Acquisition – 2019

Utilities – 2025

Construction – 2025

Affected Parcels

An estimated 149 parcels of property will be affected by the roadway project. Those property owners may lose a portion of their properties, or a significant amount of their value. For homeowners and commercial property owners in the path of the project, it is critical to understand that the government’s initial offer is just that – initial. We do not recommend you accept the initial offer.

Get a free case
evaluation today.

There are only a handful of attorneys in GA who practice eminent domain exclusively. And even fewer with DOT experience. That’s why it’s always worth it to get a free case evaluation.

Here’s how it works:

1) Tell us about your situation.

2) We research your property as needed, using DOT maps, our own technology, and experience to see the exact effects.

3) We let you know what we think a fair offer would be. This evaluation is free, and there’s no
pressure or obligation to hire us after.

But please don’t wait to act. Waiting can hurt your case, and the cost is the same: free.

1-888-391-1339

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