The bridge construction surrounding Lake Lanier may feel like a series of never-ending projects for those who frequently travel the area, but there is method to the madness. The construction process began in 2016 and should be completed in 2020.
Six bridges surrounding the Gainesville Hall County area are currently undergoing various stages of work. According to Katie Strickland with the Georgia Department of Transportation, all six bridges were reaching their working limits, so they had to be replaced.
“They all turned about 50 to 60 years old,” Strickland said. “And we always say that our bridges have a lifespan of about 50 years."
The bridges causing the most headaches for area commuters are three bridges on SR 369 - Browns Bridge, 6-mile Bridge and 2-mile Bridge; a pair of bridges on US 129/Cleveland Highway – Longstreet Bridge and Bells Mill Bridge; and SR 53’s Boling Bridge.
Strickland said several weeks of rain at the start of the year have slowed some of the projects, but construction keeps moving forward.
“That summer construction season is no joke. You are going to see a lot of work going on once we have good, warmer temperatures,” Strickland said.
The construction will come with lane closures, but it will also mean there is progress being made, Strickland said.
To get an up-close and personal look at some of the bridge construction, AccessWDUN’s Traffic Reporter Caleb Hutchins (with AccessWDUN's Marc Eggers piloting the boat) visited three of the six bridges under construction – Browns Bridge, 6-mile Bridge and 2-mile Bridge. To track the construction process and for more details on those projects, check out the video above, and stay tuned as AccessWDUN's Transportation Tip Thursday follows the progress.
Transportation Tip Thursday is a periodic feature where we discuss all things transportation for AccessWDUN’s coverage area.
