Following the May announcement of advanced construction schedules on the project’s mainline bridges, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) will complete this phase of construction implementing the southbound traffic shift this upcoming weekend.
 
Crews will shift traffic onto the three new southbound bridges on I-85 between SR 332 and US 129, between mile markers 135-137. Beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday June 10, the roadway will be reduced to one lane with crews placing asphalt, installing temporary barrier wall and applying pavement markings. Once that work is completed, traffic will be shifted to the new center lanes.
 
As a part of the Major Mobility Investment Program (MMIP), the project is widening I-85 north and southbound from two to three lanes between SR 53 and US 129, replacing one overpass bridge at SR 332 and the six interstate mainline bridges within the project limits:

• Middle Oconee River, north and southbound
• CSX Railroad, north and southbound
• and Walnut Creek, north and southbound.

“The Department is really proud of the work that has been accomplished on this project, particularly since mid-March,” said Georgia DOT Project Manager Albert “Butch” Welch. “Thanks to tremendous leadership and knowledgeable construction teams, an immense amount of work has been accelerated putting this project that much closer to delivery to the traveling public. We look forward to sharing more as this project progresses and celebrating the next milestones with the public.”
 
In addition to added lane capacity, the I-85 Widening, Phase II project will improve mobility for passenger and freight vehicles and support Georgia’s fast-growing economic development. Once completed there will be an estimated 69 percent reduction in delays in the corridor.
 
The Major Mobility Investment Program (MMIP) is a grouping of large-scale projects expected to yield a significant reduction in congestion along key freight and passenger corridors. The projects will create additional capacity, improve the movement of freight, provide operational improvements and efficiencies, enhance safety, and decrease travel times. More information on the MMIP is located at http://dot.ga.gov/IS/MMIP