Highway 44 Widening: Georgia DOT Updates Project Changes & Timeframe
Summary
Changes are coming to the proposed expansion of Highway 44 between Harmony Road/Old Phoenix Road and Athens Tech Drive, just north of the I-20 interchange. The key change will be the conversion of the Linger Longer Road intersection into a […]
Changes are coming to the proposed expansion of Highway 44 between Harmony Road/Old Phoenix Road and Athens Tech Drive, just north of the I-20 interchange.
The key change will be the conversion of the Linger Longer Road intersection into a roundabout.
It was based on feedback during a public comment period back in the summer of 2020.
Other key points include:
- No businesses will be displaced under the current plan.
- The Lake Oconee bridge will be “retained, rehabilitated, and widened”, but not replaced.
That stretch of 11 miles will be widened to four lanes with concrete and grass medians being added.
There were negative comments about the addition of the medians, which Georgia DOT Spokesman Kyle Collins addresses in this interview with Oconee Radio Group News.
Collins says the project is needed because of the amount of traffic. 11,000-16,000 cars travel on portions of Highway 44 everyday.
The Right-of-Way process is the next step, which is already underway and could take 2 to 2 ½ years. Collins say construction could begin in 2025.
READ a summary of public comments and Georgia DOT responses here: https://bit.ly/3dfM8NY
LEARN more about the project here: https://bit.ly/3firNde