441
59
75
GEORGIA STATE EDITION
Cornella 19
A Supplement to:
Rome 85 27
Athens 441
Atlanta
20
Madison Augusta
85
20
Griffin 1
129
Milledgeville
75
La Grange
Macon
301
185 19
16
Dublin
Swainsboro Oak Park
Columbus
Statesboro
341 441 16
Lyons Americus
July 9 2014
Dorchester
341
Cuthbert
75
Albany
84
Douglas Tifton
82
95
82
Blakely
Pearson
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”
301
1
82
Vol. XVI • No. 14
Savannah
McRae Cordele
27
27 84
Moultrie
19 319
Bainbridge
84
Valdosta Thomasville
Waycross Brunswick 82
1 441
Your Georgia Connection: Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
Crews Widen SR 284 Bridge By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
In northeast Georgia, crews are building the new State Route 284 Bridge over a portion of Lake Lanier. The $8.7 million project involves building the structure over the Chattahoochee River portion of Lake Lanier at the Lake Lanier Olympic Center. The new bridge will have 12ft. (3.6 m) wide lanes and an 8-ft. (2.4 m) wide bikeable shoulder in each direction. It includes a new pedestrian tunnel under SR 284. “There are some interesting and unusual aspects to this project,” said Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Communications Officer Teri Pope. “The project is on an Olympic venue. The canoe and kayak events were held there in 1996, and the course is still used for world-class competitions. A pedestrian tunnel under SR 284 is part of the project, so athletes and fans don’t have to cross the state route to access the viewing stands or the start line. Currently, athletes carry their long canoes and kayaks across the state route, stopping vehicular traffic.” Named for famed poet Sidney Lanier, the lake was built and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is patrolled by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. According to GDOT Project Manager Brandon Kirby, crews have recently been busy pouring in place the concrete for the tunnel. It then will take at least 30 days for the concrete to cure to the strength needed to support the roadway and traffic. “About half the time of the detour is for concrete to cure,” Kirby said. “Then, the grade of the roadway over the tunnel will be set, the roadway paved and sidewalks built.” Bridge work has involved pouring caps in the lake. Two will be on land. Crews have begun driving steel H-shaped pile for the footings on land that will support the new bridge. Steel H pile is driven down to a maximum depth of 56 ft. (17 m), which is considered an extremely noisy operation. Driving pile will take about a week — 18 piles to be driven, nine on each end of the bridge. Workers expect to start setting the bridge beams in early July, weather permitting. In addition to drilling and pouring and curing caissons and caps in Lake Lanier, the project has required clearing and grading. Some of the other tasks involve driving pile for the footings on land, pouring the bridge deck, grooving and see LANIER page 4
GDOT photo
An aerial view of the barge in Lake Lanier as work began.