The Georgia Department of Transportation has awarded 32 contracts for statewide transportation projects totaling $132,792,895. These projects were advertised in February, bids were received on March 17, and contracts were awarded on March 31 to the lowest qualified bidder. The awards focus on resurfacing and maintenance, as well as construction projects that enhance safety and address congestion.

This month Georgia DOT continues to tackle deferred maintenance and preservation of existing infrastructure with 26 awards totaling $90.5 million for resurfacing and maintenance of 346 miles of state highways across Georgia. This includes a $22.9 million resurfacing of 6.6 miles on I-85 in DeKalb and Fulton counties, adjacent to the site of current bridge reconstruction on I-85 over Piedmont Road, which is closed to traffic. The joint resurfacing contract was awarded to C.W. Matthews Contracting Co., Inc. and E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc. and completion is expected by February 28, 2018.

The largest single monetary investment is a $34.5 million contract for two miles of widening and reconstruction on SR 151/Alabama Highway in Catoosa County in Northwest Georgia. The location begins just over a half mile south of Rollins Industrial Boulevard/Holcomb Road and extends through the I-75 interchange to US 41/SR 2/Dixie Highway. The existing two-lane roadway will be widened to four lanes divided with a raised median to Boynton Road/Lafayette Street and a flush median to US 41/SR 2. The project constructs two widened replacement bridges – one over I-75 and the other over South Chickamauga Creek. It also includes reconstruction of the existing I-75 at SR 151 interchange. The contract was awarded to C.W. Matthews Contracting Co., Inc. of Marietta with an anticipated project completion by December 31, 2020.

SR 151 is a primary north-south corridor in North Georgia, and serves as a catalyst for regional economic development. The widening and reconstruction improvements are designed to enhance capacity for current and future travel demands and to provide a safer driving environment for local and through traffic. The investment will aid in the continued development of the private industrial park and commercial properties that border the project.

In Southwest Georgia’s Crisp County a construction award for a $3.3 million project demonstrates how a relatively small investment can have a major impact. The project consists of widening and reconstructing from two lanes to four lanes a third of a mile section of US 280/SR 30/SR 90 from I-75/SR 401 to Midway Road in Cordele. The segment, part of the US 280 Governor’s Road Improvement Program corridor that runs east-west across the state, is congested with vehicle and heavy truck traffic. The widening, designed to accommodate current and future traffic volume and truck movement, is expected to enhance safety, reduce congestion and contribute to economic development by improving access to local industries and the Cordele Inland Port. The project was awarded to Reeves Construction Company, Macon, with an expected completion date of November 30, 2018.

Several bridge rehabilitation contracts were also awarded, as well as a bridge replacement for a structurally deficient bridge on Evergreen Road over the Ochlockonee River in Worth County in South Georgia. The $1.5 million project, part of Georgia DOT’s Low Impact Bridge Program that provides expedited delivery for the least complicated bridge replacement projects, is just over a tenth of a mile long. Construction will be accelerated due to use of prefabricated elements. During construction traffic will be detoured. Completion is anticipated by August 31, 2018.