The new bridge that will be built over the Chattahoochee River near the 1996 Olympic Rowing Venue on State Route 284/Clarks Bridge Road will do more than shuttle motor vehicles over the water.
If you have ever attended an event at Clarks Bridge Park or the Rowing Venue, you’ve probably experienced the difficulty of crossing Clarks Bridge Road. It’s not only time consuming, dodging oncoming cars is also dangerous at times. Pedestrians randomly jogging across the road is a danger to motorists too.
The proposed $8.7 million bridge will replace the current narrow structure, built in 1958, with two motor vehicle lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks. A pedestrian tunnel large enough to fit rowers carrying boats is an important part of this project.
Work is expected to begin this spring or early summer. The existing structure across Lake Lanier will remain in place until the new half-mile span opens at the end of 2015.
E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc., of Snellville, won the contract.
Georgia DOT Northeast Georgia District Engineer Bayne Smith was quoted as saying, “This project is more than a bridge for vehicles, it is a multi-modal structure. It will provide for motor vehicle traffic, cyclists and pedestrians with the addition of bike lanes, sidewalks and a pedestrian culvert. It will benefit our community and tourists who attend events held at the Rowing Center.”
We look forward to the completion of the new bridge and we believe it will serve our community well.
