Our pal, Georgia Department of Transportation Communications Officer Teri N. Pope, always has newsworthy information to share. Too much, really. So, we pick and choose stories that we believe will keep you informed and interested.
That’s why we promise not to post a gazillion stories between now and the end of 2015 on every nut, bolt and piece of steel that goes into constructing the new bridge on GA State Route 284 over Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River near Clarks Bridge Park.
This update had a cool picture with it, so we wanted to share it with you.
A major milestone occurred on February 24, 2014, on the new State Route 284 Bridge project when crews poured the first of twelve concrete caissons that will support the new bridge.
“The first caisson was drilled to a depth of 103.88 feet when it reached bedrock. Yesterday, 108 cubic yards of concrete was poured into the 5 ½ feet diameter steel liner for vertical bridge support. Today the crew is moving the barge into position to begin drilling for the parallel caisson this week,” explained Harold Mull, Georgia DOT District Construction Engineer.
Caissons are watertight chambers that construction workers use to work underwater without being underwater.
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].
