More changes for I-16/I-75 project. Here’s the latest on upcoming bridge closures

For more than a year, folks driving through Macon learned how to navigate the tricky Interstate 16/Interstate 75 construction project: keep to the right to go south, stay in the left-hand lane to travel east toward Savannah.

Then it switched.

Drivers have endured an ever-changing list of lane closures, speed changes, traffic shifts and more since the $500 million “safety and mobility megaproject” began in 2017 and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Here’s the latest on what’s coming up, and when the project will be completed.

What’s happening on I-16/I-75?

The plan is to widen and reconstruct I-16 and I-75 as they intersect in Macon. Right now, the project has five of seven phases underway:

• Phase 1 involves construction on I-16 from the I-16/ I-75 split to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard exit. Among their tasks, crews and preparing for the upcoming (Oct. 24) traffic shift on I-16 eastbound to the new bridges leading to Spring Street, and also building the new bridges for Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Ocmulgee River and I-16 at Norfolk Southern Railroad.

• Phases 2 and 3 involve work on I-75 from Hardeman Avenue to I-16 eastbound. Right now, teams are demolishing the existing I-16 westbound and I-75 northbound and southbound bridges, while constructing the new I-75 northbound and southbound bridges, as well as building the new Riverside Bridge over I-75 and the new Walnut Street Bridge.

• Phases 4 and 5 involve construction from I-16 westbound and I-75 to Walnut Creek. Currently, workers are demolishing the existing Second Street bridge and constructing the new Second Street bridge, as well as building four new I-16 westbound bridges and the new I-16 westbound exit ramps.

How to stay alert for immediate changes

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) communicates weekly with local officials and the public regarding temporary or permanent changes to traffic flow, any and all anticipated lane closures.

While under construction, engineers and contractors have ensured that both local motorists and drivers passing through the busy hub can do so safely and efficiently, according to GDOT.

“As for what’s next in our immediate future, we’re communicating as much as possible about the upcoming (Oct. 24) traffic shift on I-16 eastbound to the new bridges leading to Spring Street. The traffic shift will take place during overnight hours so many local drivers will wake up to a new configuration that will remain in place for a few months,” said Penny Brooks, District Three Communications Officer at GDOT.

Here are the current long-term lane closures and changes:

• The dedicated right turn lane on the I-16 eastbound off-ramp to Spring Street will remain closed through the spring of 2022.
• The permanent lane closure on Coliseum Drive/Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard southbound between Clinton Street to Riverside Drive; southbound traffic in that area is currently reduced to one lane.
• The far right lane of I-75 northbound at the Georgia 19/Georgia Avenue exit (exit 164) is closed to traffic for several months.
• Spring Street’s far right lane at the I-16 westbound on-ramp as well as the right-hand on-ramp to I-16 westbound are both closed for several months; the Spring Street on-ramp to I-16 westbound has been relocated to the far left lane.

When will GDOT finish the project?

The project will allow the interstates to accommodate growing amounts of traffic through the region, especially commercial vehicles, and provide options for local drivers to get around Bibb County efficiently while providing a simpler and safer interstate routing for pass-through motorists and commercial vehicle drivers, according to GDOT.

“The project is expected to be completed in 2030, so there’s a lot left to do. When it’s finished, I-16 and I-75 will have additional interstate lanes, new on- and off-ramps, 11 upgraded bridges, a lot of new MSE (retaining) walls along the corridors, and updated and improved infrastructure drainage systems,” said Brooks.

As the state continues to grapple with increased congestion on highways, there are several proposals at the federal level to address the issue.

A new interstate, I-14, would connect Columbus with Augusta and run through Middle Georgia. Sen. Jon Ossoff has discussed a high-speed rail corridor through Georgia that would run between Atlanta and Savannah, with a stop in Athens.

This story was originally published October 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM.