All Georgia bridge replacements funded in 2016 now complete

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The 24 local bridge replacements funded in fiscal year 2016 have been completed and are open to traffic, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) recently announced.

The structurally deficient bridges were either replaced or updated as part of the Georgia DOT Design-Build Bridge Replacement Program at the cost of $39.6 million. The bridges are on roads not considered part of the state system.

The program was funded through the Transportation Funding Act of 2015 and used bundles for efficiency and speed. Bridge bundles use design-build contracts which allow contractors to combine design and construction activities for the bridges in their contracts.

Georgia used groups of four to six bridge replacements.

“Thanks to the Transportation Funding Act we were able to complete 24 bridge replacements over the course of two years leveraging design-build delivery methods,” Andrew Hoenig, design-build program manager, said. “The design-build program helps expedite the completion process, whereas replacing a large quantity of bridges in such a short timeframe would have been practically impossible using traditional delivery methods, and costs would have been more.”

The state utilized five contracts with three contractors. Construction began in April 2017 and ended this June.

Additional bridge replacements, funded in fiscal years 2017 and 2018, are underway.