The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) with a $24,821,050 Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development federal grant to assist the Department with the future widening of State Route 316. The funds will also help construct a bridge over SR 11 in Barrow County.
 
The $24.8 million investment will improve traffic flow through the SR 316 and SR 11 area, where an estimated total of 40,00 vehicles travel daily, by building a new bridge on SR 316 that will span
SR 11. The work on SR 316 will extend approximately 1.1 miles and the work on SR 11 will extend approximately 0.4 mile.
 
The Georgia Department of Transportation is truly grateful to the USDOT for providing Georgia a $24.8M BUILD grant to build an interchange at SR 316 and SR 11 in Barrow County,” said Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell R. McMurry. “This grant is significant and aids in our efforts to improve safety and operations along SR 316 from I-85 to Athens while enhancing quality of life and Georgia’s economic competitiveness along this critical corridor. The BUILD grant award also recognizes the USDOT’s focus on transportation investment in rural America. We are very grateful for the strong support of Senators Isakson and Perdue on this project and their focus on Georgia’s transportation infrastructure.”
 
Georgia DOT is responsible for planning, constructing, maintaining and improving the state’s roads, bridges and interstate highways. Funding such as this assists the department in continuing to create an expansive connected mobility network that serves to boost competitiveness through leadership in transportation and plays a critical role in providing a safe, secure and reliable infrastructure for all Georgians.