Hwy. 109 bridge replacement is years away

The bridge on Highway 109 east over Gola Creek will be replaced by the Georgia Department of Transportation and citizens learned about the replacement and proposed detour during an event held in November. The actual bridge replacement won’t happen for a couple more years though. ’As of right now, the only date I have is the project bid date which is October of 2020,’ said Penny Brooks of the Georgia DOT. ‘So, contractors will bid on the project in October of 2020. Once we get closer, we’ll have a better idea of when the project will begin.’  The project proposes to replace the existing bridge on State Route 109 at Gola Creek one mile east of Meansville in Pike County. The proposed bridge would have two 12-foot travel lanes and 8-foot shoulders on both sides of the bridge. The total length of the project is approximately 1,355 feet. The bridge would be replaced on existing alignment and an off-site detour is proposed during construction. The bridge was closed in January, 2016 after flooding washed away the support and after extensive repairs, the bridge was re-opened on Feb. 2, 2016.