Georgia, S. Carolina to partner on $75 million I-20 bridge replacement projects

Updated Jul 18, 2016

road work cones constructionGeorgia and South Carolina will partner to replace Interstate 20 bridges crossing the Savannah River and the Augusta Canal and to add lanes to the interstate at Exit 1 in South Carolina. The project is estimated at $75 million.

The bridges would provide three travel lanes in each direction and a “refuge area” for vehicles. From Exit 200 in Georgia to Exit 1 in South Carolina, I-20 would be widened from four to six lanes.

Officials say 60,000 vehicles each day travel on this section of I-20 and the two westbound and two eastbound bridges are more than 50 years old. The replacement option was decided after evaluations of construction staging, hydraulic concerts and future maintenance costs.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) will pay a “proportional share” of preliminary engineering and construction costs. GDOT will procure the project through a design-build contract with an expected “put out to bid” timeline of fall 2018.

“The replacement of both bridges is critical to the safe movement of goods and people to and from both states,” says GDOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry. “Due to economic growth on both sides of the river, it is imperative that the bridge infrastructure meet modern demands, and so we are eager to work with South Carolina to move this project forward.”

“We had identified this section of I-20 on South Carolina’s project priority list for interstate widening,” says SCDOT Secretary Christy A. Hall. “The collaborative approach between Georgia and South Carolina will enable us to expedite the delivery of this much needed project for the citizens of the region.”