Athens gets $266,660 for Food City road work, west-side project advances

Athens is getting a new round of public funding for west-side road and drainage work tied to the future Food City supermarket, after Gov. Kay Ivey announced a $266,660 grant on May 27 for improvements at West Elm Street and Lucas Ferry Road.

The project centers on a planned 57,000-square-foot Food City near the intersection. ADECA said the work will widen West Elm Street and Lucas Ferry Road, add deceleration and turning lanes, and improve drainage so the site can handle the traffic the development is expected to generate.

Why the road work matters

The city will contribute $322,207 in local funds. The infrastructure changes are meant to do more than serve one store. City leaders say the access and drainage work should help support future commercial development on the west side as traffic builds.

ADECA said the development is expected to bring about 100 jobs. The agency also noted that the same project received a separate $300,000 grant in December 2025, showing the road work has been moving through more than one funding cycle as the supermarket plan advances.

The project still has city-government steps

The May 26 Athens City Council agenda included a public hearing related to the zoning approval of alcohol sales for K-V-A-T Food Stores Inc. DBA Food City 508 at 17878 Lucas Ferry Road. That means the project was still active in city government and should not be treated as finished or open.

For commuters, nearby residents, and west-side businesses, the practical impact is likely to show up in traffic flow, turn movements, drainage, and the pace of growth around West Elm Street and Lucas Ferry Road. The grocery store is one part of the story; the road design is the other.

Sources

• ADECA press release: Gov. Ivey announces grant to support development bringing 100 jobs to Athens
• City of Athens Council Agenda, May 26, 2026