Lewiston bridge work could start soon

Construction to improve the Interstate 20/Lewiston Road interchange outside Grovetown could begin soon, Georgia Department of Transportation officials say.

//

Conyers, Ga.-based Pittman Construction Co. has been awarded the $9.1 million contract to replace the bridge and widen the entrance and exit ramps to I-20, DOT spokeswoman Cissy McNure said.

"We are waiting on a notice to proceed and expect that sometime in September, with work (possibly) starting in October or November," she said. Construction is scheduled for completion in April 2009.

Grovetown city officials and motorists have long complained that the interchange is dangerous and congested.

Motorists turning left onto Lewiston Road from the east- and westbound I-20 exits face limited sight distances and heavy traffic during the day. Drivers trying to turn left from Lewiston Road onto I-20 often cause traffic tie-ups in both directions because of a lack of turn lanes.

McNure said the project will widen the bridge over I-20 to two through-lanes, with left-turn lanes for the exit ramps and two bicycle lanes.

The project will also add traffic signals and improve and widen the interstate ramps, McNure said, "because the majority of the ramp pavement is in fair to poor condition and will continue to deteriorate as traffic grows."

Though the planned interchange expansion falls outside of the city limits, Grovetown Mayor Dennis Trudeau says word that the project is set to begin this fall is good news for the city. City leaders have been asking the Transportation Department for improvements to the interchange for at least seven or eight years, he said.

"They've got to take the first step, and that's great," he said of construction. He called turning left from I-20 "suicidal" during rush hour and said the project is needed to cut down on wrecks at the interchange.

City leaders have also called for Lewiston Road/Horizon South Parkway to be widened to four lanes because of heavy commercial traffic to the nearby Horizon North and South Industrial parks. McNure said the new bridge will accommodate a planned widening of Lewiston Road and Horizon South Parkway.