SR 63 Bridge Replacement on Schedule

Georgia Department of Transportation Spokesperson Katie Strickland said Friday work remains on schedule on the replacement of a bridge along State Route 63 in Banks County.

The bridge replacement project started last Fall and has resulted in a detour around the bridge over the Middle Fork Broad River on what is also known as Martin Bridge Road, a road used by many to get to Interstate 85 and the Commerce area.

The DOT is putting in a new 250 foot long by 40 foot wide concrete bridge at the current location, with the new bridge being raised and drainage extended.

Strickland said work is moving along nicely.

“All the beams are set currently,” said Strickland. “The completion date is still set for July 2017.”

A clearly marked detour remains in place to direct traffic around the construction and drivers are reminded to remember to slow down and drive alert while navigating through a detour route.

The DOT said the old State Route 63 Bridge over the Middle Fork of the Broad River was built in 1962 and does not meet current design standards.

DOT officials add that using detours instead of a parallel bridge is making the project go faster, as well as saving around $150,000 on the project cost.