Our pal, Georgia Department of Transportation’s Spokeswoman Teri Pope, has an update for us about the new bridge that will be constructed near the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue on State Route 284, also known as Clarks Bridge Road.
The $8.7 million construction project was awarded to E. R. Snell Contractor Inc., of Snellville. They’ll begin installing work zone signage this week. Men leaning on shovels cannot be far behind!
The existing bridge was built in 1958 and does not meet current design standards.
On Monday, October 28, 2013, equipment and materials will be delivered to the site, if the weather cooperates.
A few days later, crews will be in the lake to prepare for drilling the new concrete support structures or “caissons” for the new bridge.
Caissons are watertight chambers that construction workers use to work underwater without being underwater.
Maybe the picture on the left will explain that better.
The new bridge will have 12-foot-wide lanes and an 8-foot-wide shoulder in each direction for bicycling or walking. There will also be a new pedestrian tunnel under SR 284 to improve safety for folks attending events at the Olympic Venue.
Traffic — with the obvious starts and stops common to construction zones — will continue on the existing bridge during construction; however, when the pedestrian culvert is built, the DOT will allow a detour for up to 60 days. Traffic will be rerouted via an 11-mile detour onto U.S. 129 / Cleveland Highway during that time.
The current bridge will be torn down after the bridge and tunnel are completed in late December of 2015.
Click Here for New Clarks Bridge Information
To receive e-mail updates on the project please contact Teri Pope at [email protected].
The Georgia Department of Transportation is committed to providing a safe, seamless and sustainable transportation system that supports Georgia’s economy and is sensitive to both its citizens and its environment.
For more information on Georgia DOT, please visit www.dot.ga.gov or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/GeorgiaDOT) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/
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