Valdosta Highway’s bridge is now open

The Valdosta Highway bridge that goes over the Withlacoochee River is now open for traffic. The bridge still has some work to be completed but opened on June 17. According to Scott Chambers, Georgia Department of Transportation’s District Construction Engineer for District 4, what remains to be done on the project is taking down the old bridge, finishing grading and paving the new bridge and installing permanent safety features. The bridge was originally planned to be completed in August of 2014 but was pushed back to March of 2015. The Georgia Department of Transportation began the project in April of 2013. The estimated completion of the bridge is late summer or early fall. The project consists of a 780' long, 43'-6" wide bridge replacement west of the existing bridge. The bridge section will consist of two 12-foot travel lanes and 8-foot wide rural shoulders. The total length of the project will be 2,990 feet, just over half a mile. The current bridge, built in 1941, is only 24 feet wide.