Lawmakers’ bill would prohibit tunnel road proposal

Residents pining for underground interstates — or perhaps a picturesque eight-story ventilation tower next to the local YMCA? — will be infuriated to learn that some state lawmakers are opposing these modern amenities.

Legislation filed yesterday by several state representatives would prohibit the Georgia Department of Transportation from entering into a public-private partnership to build a congestion-relieving tunnel.

The bill doesn’t mention by name the controversial project currently being examined by GDOT — and championed by GOP gubernatorial candidate John Oxendine — but the legislation’s intent is obvious. State Rep. Pat Gardner, D-Atlanta, one of the bill’s sponsors, hosted a Piedmont Heights community forum about the tunnel-to-hell earlier this month.

“I am totally convinced that the City of Atlanta doesn’t need a tunnel underneath it,” state Rep. Kathy Ashe, D-Atlanta, the bill’s chief sponsor. “And that there are lots of ways, most importantly rapid transit, to deal with congestion issues. Building a tunnel doesn’t solve the problem — and it creates a myriad of other problems.”

Other sponsors of the bill include State Reps. Simone Bell, Pat Gardner, Margaret Kaiser and Mike Jacobs. Except for Jacobs, all the legislation’s sponsors are Democrats. Bipartisanship, hip hip hooray!

“Building this tunnel will go under the houses of Republicans and Democrats,” Ashe said. “And it’s not going to solve transportation issues. This has been an issue that’s been visited and re-visited and it’s time for us to draw a line in the sand and say, ‘No, thank you.’”