$21 million will go to replacing a Bibb County bridge, officials say. What to know.
Major bridges and state roads in Bibb, Jones and Lamar counties will undergo over $30 million in replacements and upgrades over the next few years, the Georgia Department of Transportation confirmed Tuesday.
The biggest investment in the area will go to Bibb County: a $21.3 million award will be used to replace a local bridge. Some of the roads are in poor quality, and have not been repaved in over 20 years.
Bibb County
A bridge will be replaced on U.S. Route 41 near the State Roads 11 and 49 intersection, over Norfolk Southern railway.
The GDOT awarded $21.3 million to replace the current bridge with a new one. Contractor F. S. Scarbrough is expected to complete the project by April 2027, according to the department of transportation’s project site GeoPI.
The new bridge will be about 320 feet long, but construction will extend about 1 mile.
There are currently six travel lanes and one left turn only lane. The number of lanes will remain the same, but a few feet wider.
The current bridge will not be demolished. It will be taken down “piece by piece,” according to Gina L. Snider, GDOT District 3 communications officer.
It was unclear what issues the current bridge faces.
“Bridges are inspected throughout the state and (maintain) today’s modern standards by replacing them,” Snider said.
Jones County
The conditions of two state roads in Jones County were given poor ratings by the GDOT and will be repaved by September 2025, according to the GDOT.
This includes about 7 miles of State Road 22 from Gray Bypass to the Jones-Baldwin County line, and 13 miles of State Road 11 from North Gray Bypass to the Jones-Jasper County line.
The resurfacing projects are expected to “improve the roadway’s low overall condition index score,” which rates the quality of the pavement in terms of cracking, raised grooves and deterioration, according to GioPI.
The last time the roads were repaved was in 2003, GioPI confirmed.
Reeves Construction Company was awarded $2.6 million for the State Road 22 project, and $4.1 million for the State Road 11 project, according to Snider.
Lamar County
A bridge will undergo structural improvements on State Road 7 over Ivey Lane and Pecan Drive in Lamar County, according to the GDOT.
“The work includes but is not limited to replacement of the deck, approach slabs, joints, edge beams, barriers, end posts and guardrail,” GioPI said.
Williams Contracting Company was approved to improve the bridge design, which is expected to be completed by September 2025. The project will cost $4.4 million, Snider said.
Start dates were not yet confirmed for any of the construction, and end dates could change, according to Snider.
