A $46 million construction project to rebuild and improve two heavily-traveled Interstate 75 interchanges in Lowndes County is scheduled to be advertised for bid following approval Thursday by the State Transportation Board.
 
The Georgia Department of Transportation project to reconstruct Exits 22 and 29 will be made available for bid June 16. The award to the lowest qualified bidder is expected to be announced by the end of June.

"It's a big bridge initiative and a tremendous investment on the part of GDOT," said Tim Golden, who represents Georgia's 8th Congressional District on the Board. "These bridges were a major priority for me when I was first elected to the Board almost two years ago. They are vital entry points to Hahira and Valdosta and I am extremely grateful to the many people at GDOT and throughout the community who helped make this happen."

Exit 29 is the state Route 122/Main Street interchange at Hahira and Exit 22 is U.S. 41/SR 7/North Valdosta Road near Valdosta. The bridges were built in 1960 and the design is outdated for current and projected traffic, Golden said. The bridges are narrow, which makes it difficult for motorists at the top of the ramps to see oncoming traffic. Both routes are two lanes and SR 122 doesn’t have turn lanes. A short SR 7 westbound turn lane for traffic to go south on I-75 often backs up, which blocks through traffic.

The project will widen both bridges to four lanes with turn lanes, paved shoulders and concrete medians and will reconstruct the ramps. This will improve traffic flow and capacity and improve visibility exiting the ramps.
 
This is just the latest of 16 bridge replacements in Southwest Georgia that were awarded within the past 12 months or are scheduled to be advertised for bid this year. Structurally deficient and/or functionally obsolete bridges on and off the state highway system are being replaced with structures that meet current Georgia DOT guidelines.
 
Many of these aging bridges are in rural areas. Replacing them is good for rural Georgia where farmers and agricultural-based industries need to move products to market, Commissioner Russell McMurry noted. Some bridges that are being replaced have posted weight limits due to deterioration. One was ordered shut down by Georgia DOT.

The following projects represent a total investment of approximately $40 million in construction costs alone in Southwest Georgia infrastructure. These bridge replacements are in the 1st District represented by Board member Ann Purcell, the 2nd District represented by Board member Johnny Floyd and the 8th District.

Bridge replacement projects awarded since November 2016 are:

• Evergreen Road at Ochlockonee River northeast of Doerun in Worth County. Bridge built in 1955. Completion date August 2018.

• Stage Coach Road at Little Creek in Mitchell County. Bridge built in 1963. Completion date February 2018.

• Eleven Bridges Road at Carter Creek southeast of Cuthbert in Randolph County. Bridge built in 1965. Completion date April 2018.

• SR 11 at House Creek north of Fitzgerald in Ben Hill County. Bridge built in 1954. Completion date November 2018.

• Cogdell Road at Red Bluff Creek southeast of Pearson in Atkinson County. Bridge built in 1953. Completion date August 2019.

• Perry House Road at Willacoochee Creek south of Fitzgerald in Ben Hill County. Bridge built in 1962. Completion date August 2019.

• Old Thomasville Road at Barnetts Creek at the Thomas County line in Grady County. Bridge built in 1960. Completion date August 2019.

• Lower Brookfield Road at New River southeast of Tifton in Tift County. Bridge built in 1959. Completion date August 2019.

  Upcoming bridge replacements are:

• Doerun-Norman Park Road at Okapilco Creek east of Doerun in Colquitt County. Bridge built in 1966. Scheduled to be advertised for bid in June.

• Lower Lumpkin Road at Hodchookee Creek east of Georgetown in Quitman County. Bridge built in 1958. Scheduled to be advertised for bid in June.

• Toms Creek Road at Toms Creek southeast of Tarver in Echols County. Bridge built in 1955. Scheduled to be advertised for bid in June.

• Reichertville Road at McKeever Slough Creek southwest of Boston in Thomas County. Bridge built in 1960. Scheduled to be advertised for bid in June.

• SR 200 at Ichawaynochaway Creek west southwest of Newton in Baker County. Bridge built in 1956. Scheduled to be advertised for bid in June.

• SR 216 at Ichawaynochaway Creek northwest of Newton in Baker County. Bridge built in 1952. Scheduled to be advertised for bid in June.

• SR 234 at Chickasawhatchee Creek northeast of Leary at the Calhoun/Dougherty County line. Bridge built in 1958. Scheduled to be advertised for bid in July.

• SR 253 at Spring Creek southwest of Bainbridge in Decatur County. Bridge built in 1957. Scheduled to be advertised for bid in November.