Cracks, ruts and potholes and the rough ride they produce are disappearing on state routes as the Georgia Department of Transportation catches up on deferred road maintenance. Since March the Department has awarded 16 maintenance construction contracts to resurface state routes in Southwest Georgia. Awards announced May 5 add five projects to that list. Georgia DOT is tackling deferred maintenance with funds generated by the state Transportation Funding Act of 2015.

Preventative maintenance extends the life of roads and reduces wear and tear on vehicles. The Department is now resurfacing on an average 12- to 15-year cycle with preventative maintenance in between, instead of the previous 50-year cycle. "The many resurfacing projects in our area will help maintain our valuable infrastructure. These maintenance projects are essential to meet the demand of our growing district and state," Georgia DOT Southwest District Engineer Chad Hartley said. The most recent resurfacing projects in Southwest Georgia total nearly 60 miles with a construction cost of $13 million.

They are:

- Ben Hill County, SR 107 from east of Benjamin H. Hill Drive to the Coffee County line; SR 90 from west of SR 11/Sherman Street to west of SR 215/SR 90; and SR 215 from the Wilcox County line to north of SR 90

- Ben Hill and Wilcox counties, SR 233 from SR 90 to SR 112

- Calhoun and Clay counties, SR 37 from east of US 27 to the Baker County line

The resurfacing projects are scheduled to be complete in March 2018. Resurfacing isn't all that's happening with our state routes. Another contract awarded May 5 will modernize signals and upgrade pedestrian safety measures at eight locations in Brooks and Colquitt counties. Georgia DOT is moving toward new signal software that allows a technician to dial in remotely to see an intersection and make adjustments. Many signal problems can be resolved faster utilizing software rather than dispatching a technician to fix the issue at the traffic signal control cabinet. Signal heads, poles, cabinets and other components also will be upgraded. New striping and crosswalks will be installed with ramps that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Countdown timers for pedestrians will be added at locations that don't have them. This is a $1.3 million safety project scheduled to be complete in June 2018. The project intersections on U.S. 84/SR 38 in Brooks County are Barwick Street, SR 76/SR 333/Court Street and Washington Street. Intersections on U.S. 319/SR 35 in Colquitt County are Murphy Road/Gene McQueen Road, SR 33/Pavo Road, Tallokas Road, Magnolia Lane and SR 33/Tifton Highway.