Earlier this month, the city of Avondale Estates sent an email to residents notifying them that the Georgia Department of Transportation would soon begin paving US 278, the city’s main thoroughfare.

The city later retracted that announcement, saying the work had been postponed “until further notice.”

Mark D. McKinnon, a spokesman for GDOT, said that the delay had to do with a change to the original contract.

“About the time the bid was awarded, we decided to add some drainage improvements to the contract that were not included in the original scope of the project,” McKinnon said. “So, in addition to the paving work around the railroad tracks, it will also include drainage improvements. This additional work will obviously cost a little more but more importantly, will require more coordination with the railroad, which can be challenging due to the volume of rail traffic. So, we are reviewing the prices for the drainage work and also discussing the railroad requirements to perform the extra work. The contractor is waiting to begin the work until after these details are worked out but we don’t have a start date yet.”

Avondale Estates City Commissioners recently approved an update to the city’s downtown master plan that recommends a “road diet” for US 278 that would narrow the street to create more space for sidewalks and bike lanes.

In a May 9 report recently released by the city, City Manager Clai Brown told commissioners that, “The City received three proposals for the Feasibility Study, funding provided by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). The Feasibility Study will include review and planning for a possible road diet along US 278. The City will review the proposals and award a contract to the most responsive firm. The study should begin in the summer.”