Kemp unveils nearly $2B I-75 expansion, homelessness funds in final budget push

Lawmakers started Wednesday with the annual Eggs and Issues Legislative Breakfast, at which Gov. Brian Kemp laid out his budget priorities for his last year in office.

One proposal includes a nearly $2 billion infrastructure investment that would add permanent toll express lanes in both directions of I-75 in Henry County.

“Currently, 45% to 60% of commuters can’t get in the express lanes when they need them the most,” Kemp said. “This funding will enable GDOT and CERTA to address those issues head on. Our initial estimates indicate that once these express lanes are completed, as much as 70% more vehicles will be able to pass through that corridor during the rush hours. That’s a great return on investment for our state.”

Here are Kemp’s priorities:

• $1.8 billion to I-75 South in Henry County to build express lanes in both directions
• $200 million to support upgrades to Ga. 316, a major highway that links Atlanta to Athens
• $50 million to fund a Homelessness Response Grant to be paired with matching funds from local governments and private partners
• Funds dedicated to improving smaller, local road projects and repairing rural bridges
• The Education and Workforce Strategy Act to inspire collaboration between the university and technical college system, the Georgia Department of Education, and other interested parties

“Known as the Homelessness Response Grant, the state will make a one-time investment of $50 million that will be coupled with other funds from public, private, and nonprofit partners to launch this initiative,” Kemp said. “Through very targeted use of funds, this grant will act as a force multiplier to complement the good work already underway by Mayor Dickens and other champions on this challenging issue. Awards will go to local governments and nonprofit organizations addressing street-level homelessness in Georgia, and it will ensure that every stakeholder, every stakeholder has equal skin in the game.”

Kemp spoke of the Education and Workforce Strategy Act as a legacy act that could impact Georgians long after he leaves office.

 

Written in collaboration with Alexis Young.