Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) officials cautioned Monroe County leaders on Wednesday that a proposed project to replace the existing bridge on Hwy. 18 that connects Monroe and Jones counties remains at least four years away.
GDOT project managers Bryan Williams and Justin Pritchard said Wednesday that construction on the proposed Hwy. 18 bridge project, which was first revealed to county leaders last month, is not expected to occur until summer 2025.
On Wednesday, Williams, Pritchard and engineering director Jeffrey Church of STV, Inc. met in Forsyth with Monroe County Commission Chairman Greg Tapley, Monroe County District 3 Commissioner John Ambrose and Monroe County Manager Jim Hedges to discuss viable options for how to ease the burden on local citizens who would be affected by a temporary bridge closure. Other meeting attendees included: Jones County Commission Chairman Chris Weidner, 129th Georgia House District Rep. Susan Holmes, who represents portions of Jones and Monroe counties, Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman, Monroe County Chief Deputy Michael Hull, Monroe County Road Superintendent Junior Watts and Monroe County Public Information Officer Richard Dumas.
While a letter from GDOT to County Manager Jim Hedges last month indicated that GDOT intends to close the bridge altogether for 12 to 18 months during construction, Pritchard cautioned that no decision has been reached. He said initial options included: leaving the bridge as it currently is with no improvements, replacing the existing bridge in its current location, or building a new bridge either north or south of the current bridge. Pritchard said due to the age of the existing bridge, which he said was built in the 1960s, leaving the bridge the way it is right now is not an option. He said a GDOT study performed on the site about five years ago indicated a need for a new bridge for age and safety reasons.
Therefore, Williams said that leaves the option of closing and replacing the existing bridge at its current spot or re-engineering the site to build a new bridge nearby. Williams cautioned that even if the existing bridge is shut down to build a new one, he said the actual road closure would likely be closer to four to five months in length rather than the initial projection of 12 to 18 months, which is more of a worst-case scenario. He said nothing definitive will be decided until after GDOT first holds a public hearing, which is likely to occur either in late 2021 or early 2022. After the public has a chance to voice its concerns or approval of the preliminary project ideas, he said a concept report will be released with the backing of upper level GDOT management sometime around February 2022. In the short-term, Williams urged Monroe County leaders to give input about the project to the county’s area engineer, saying there will be a concept team meeting as soon as next month that Monroe County leaders will be invited to attend.
Rep. Holmes thanked GDOT officials for procuring funding for the Hwy. 18 bridge replacement project, saying it is necessary. However, Rep. Holmes urged GDOT to figure out a way to make the project happen without potentially lengthy detours that could cause some Monroe County travelers to have to go through Macon-Bibb to access Jones County. Commissioner Ambrose said some Monroe County citizens could also use Juliette Road to access Jones County while the Hwy. 18 bridge is closed, but he asked GDOT to reach an agreement with Norfolk Southern not to block Juliette Road with its trains if it is used as a main access corridor between the two counties. Widner also noted the need for emergency vehicle access to the Ocmulgee River, especially in the summer when the river is frequently enjoyed by locals.
GDOT has not yet revealed a cost estimate for the Hwy. 18 bridge replacement, but Williams said federal funding will pay for the project.
