US 221/SR 31 Passing Lanes

FAST FACTS

GDOT Project #:0014485
Type: Widening
Project Length: approximately 4 miles
Affected Counties: Fulton
Condemning Authority: GDOT
Estimated Affected Parcels: 35+
Estimated Cost (excluding ROW): $12,099,490
Right-of-Way Funds (in PI #621340): $1,651,000

Description

US Highway 221, also called State Route 31, through Lanier and Lowndes Counties will add passing lanes at four sites in two interconnected locations for safety and flow.

The project will add about four miles of passing lanes as well as a protected left turn lane at one point, with two in Lowndes County and two in Lanier County. In Lowndes County, the first site begins just north of Moore Road and runs for about a mile providing a passing lane for northbound traffic. The second site begins where the first ends, adding a southbound passing lane for about a mile, ending around Knights Academy Road.

In Lanier County, the third and fourth sites connect at the intersection of Shiner Pond Road and Spell Road, approaching from the north and south and providing about a mile of passing lane in each direction. The project also adds a protected left turn lane at Shiner Pond Road.

Passing lane construction here involves a six foot widening on both sides of the existing road. As a result, all travel lanes will be 12 feet wide, with 10-foot shoulders (of which two feet will be paved). The widening of the road will result in takings from all of the parcels on either side. Before you agree to sell your land to GDOT, contact an eminent domain attorney to make sure you’re being treated fairly!

Property Owner Concerns

Highway widenings in somewhat rural or outlying areas can seem, at a glance, to be rather harmless. As with any eminent domain taking, however, property owners are losing land plus whatever is on that land. In some cases, that could mean fences, streams, gates, ingress and egress, and so on.

In other words, property owners can lose a lot more than a little land. They can suffer damage to the land that remains. Construction work may also interfere with properties, and “temporary” construction easements may last years. GDOT can cause harm by inverse condemnation as well. More than 35 parcels are affected along this project corridor. If yours is one of them, call 1-888-391-1339 now.

What to Do if Your Property Is Affected

There’s still time exercise your rights if you have not accepted GDOT’s initial offer. The government has allocated more than $1.6 million to compensate property owners, but it will try to buy your property for as little as possible. In many cases, we find that the initial offer is often significantly lower than the value of what’s taken. You are not required to accept the government’s initial offer!

You have the right to fair compensation for property the government takes – even projects that claim to increase the value of surrounding property may ultimately do more harm to yours than good. “Fair” compensation could be significantly more than the first offer. Compensation for lost business income or expenses like relocation are almost never included in those offers. We can help you fight for them!

As long as you do not accept the initial offer, you can fight for more and we can help. Call 1-888-391-1339 or contact us as soon as possible for a complimentary case evaluation.

We do not take an attorney’s fee unless we increase the government’s offer, and our fee only comes from the increased amount – our no-fee guarantee. Further, we front the costs of fighting your case and if we’re unable to increase the government’s offer to you, you don’t pay them. We do. That is how confident we are that we can assist you.

News and Publications

Southern Georgia Regional Commission

Project Maps

Estimated Project Schedule

Right of Way Acquisition – Current

Start Construction – 2024

End Construction – TBD

Affected Parcels

An estimated 35 parcels of property will be affected by the US 221/SR 31 passing lane project in Lowndes and Lanier Counties. Property owners may lose significant amounts of land and/or property rights, representing significant financial value and usability. 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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