Detour focus of forum

The Georgia Department of Transportation will hold an open house Thursday about a project on Washington Road that could detour traffic in northern Columbia County for nearly a year.

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The open house, which will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at North Columbia Elementary School on Ray Owens Road, will provide information about the proposed Keg Creek bridge replacement and the addition of a passing lane on Washington Road.

The project will require a yearlong detour of all traffic along Washington Road, DOT spokeswoman Cissy McNure said.

The proposed detour would take northbound motorists west on Cobbham Road from Pollards Corner to Phinizy, where motorists would take Ray Owens Road north back to Washington Road in Leah, according to a DOT news release.

Southbound motorists would take Ray Owens Road south from Leah to Phinizy, then east on Cobbham Road to Pollards Corner.

Vonda Everett, a district planning and programming engineer for the DOT, said the project is necessary to provide safer passing areas and to widen the bridge for larger vehicles.

McNure said more than 40 parcels have been identified for purchase for right of way to complete the two projects.

The DOT has scheduled construction to begin in 2010. Completion of the bridge is expected to take nine months, and the passing lane will take 18 months to finish, McNure said.

The combined cost of the bridge construction and road widening is estimated at about $4.8 million.

No formal presentation will be given, and the public is welcome to come at any time during the session to offer input.