GEORGIA STATE EDITION
A Supplement to:
441
59
75
Cornella 19
Rome
85
27
Athens 441
Atlanta
20
Madison 85
20
Augusta
Griffin 129
Vol. XXII • No. 2
1
Macon
185 19
January 26 2011
Milledgeville
75
La Grange
301
16
Columbus
Dublin
Swainsboro Oak Park
341
Statesboro
441
16
Lyons Americus
27 82
McRae Cordele
75
Albany
Your Georgia Connection: Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
82
Blakely
84
84
Douglas Tifton
82
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Savannah Dorchester
341
Cuthbert
27
301
1
19 319
Pearson
Moultrie
84
Bainbridge Thomasville
Valdosta
95
Waycross Brunswick 82 1
441
Off the Island: Skidaway Span Replacement Accelerated By Lori Lovely
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Skidaway Island, a barrier island off the coast of Savannah, Ga., bordering Skidaway Straights, which is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, is linked to the mainland by Skidaway Narrows Bridge. Part of the Diamond Causeway, also known as the Georgia 204 spur, the bridge is nearly 40 years old and by all accounts, in dire need of repair. Years of waiting for state officials to fund construction of a new bridge have finally come to an end for the island’s approximately 10,000 residents. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) agreed to accelerate the replacement of the aging Skidaway Narrows Bridge, awarding a $22.5 million contract to United Contractors Inc., Great Falls, S.C, for construction of a new bridge. Eighty percent of the money Several cranes have been employed on the project, including a 100F Link-Belt 150-ton (136 t) crane, 160-ton (145 t) Link-Belt cherry picker, 1610 American 150-ton crane, Link-Belt 238 200-ton (181 t) crane and a 1611 Link-Belt 120-ton (109 t) crane.
comes from federal funds, the other 20 percent from the state.
Two hydraulic pushers are required on site for the new bridge.
Out With the Old… Labeled structurally deficient by the state, the existing bascule bridge is prone to frequent malfunctions, but offers the only way off the island for vehicular traffic. Local lawmakers dubbed the project a priority nearly a decade ago, but a lack of funds and permit problems impeded several attempts to implement the planned replacement. State Sen. Eric Johnson also blamed part of the delay on construction of Whitfield Avenue in Savannah. However, when the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in
Minneapolis collapsed in 2007, it renewed attention on Skidaway. Considering replacement of the bridge a safety issue, County Commission Chairman Pete Liakakis told local media that the Skidaway Bridge has malfunctioned a number of times — “and they don’t make spare parts. If some kind of disaster hit Skidaway, like a hurricane, we’ve got thousands of people who are going to be in trouble.” Evacuation concerns aren’t centered entirely on the bridge’s age; there are safety-related concerns emanating from its condition. Barry Dragon, director of the bridge program for the 7th district, refutes the alarm regarding the
possibility of a drawbridge malfunction leaving island residents stranded during a hurricane evacuation. Moveable bridges normally don’t break in the “up” position, he noted. “If a hurricane is coming, we authorize the owner to lock down. Generally, that’s eight hours prior to the forecast arrival of hurricane-force winds. We’ve never had a problem as far as evacuating, and I’ve heard every story there is.” The Skidaway Bridge is one of about 250 moveable bridges in the Coast Guard’s 7th District, which includes Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Today, bridge ownsee BRIDGE page 6