DOT plans work for new bridge on Clarks Bridge Thursday

GAINESVILLE - The Georgia Department of Transportation expects to begin road work this week, should the weather cooperate, on State Route 284, or Clarks Bridge Road.

According to a press release, crews will clear vegetation on Thursday and another crew of specialists will prep the area for new caissons next week. The DOT is building a temporary work bridge that will be used to move equipment, materials and staff to the barge and working platform on the lake, according to the release.

"Working in the Lake preparing to drill for the new concrete support structures, or caissons, is very specialized," Harold Mull, DOT District Construction Engineer said in a press release. "These plans are tentative and are weather dependent."

The $8.7 million project will build a new bridge over the Chattahoochee River portion of Lake Lanier at the Lake Lanier Olympic Center. The new bridge will have 12 feet wide lanes, an 8 feet wide shoulder in each direction and a new pedestrian tunnel under the state route.

The existing bridge was built in 1958 and does not meet current design standards, according to the release. The estimated completion date for the project is December 31, 2015.