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Input invited on planned detours, replacements for Little River bridges
To learn more and offer your feedback, go to https://little-river-bridge-replacements-0018238-0018240-gdot.hub.arcgis.com/. May 15 is the deadline to weigh in online.
In addition to giving vehicles places to cross the Little River, both bridges connect Milton with Cherokee County. GDOT estimates that both projects could result in closures (and detours) of roughly 18 months. The City has requested both bridges close at the same time (to prevent excessive Clarity Road traffic). Construction is not expected to begin until at least 2036, though this timetable is subject to change.
The more traveled bridge – with average daily traffic of about 6,200 vehicles – is along Hickory Flat Road (before it becomes Old Birmingham Road in Cherokee). The Georgia Department of Transportation plans to:
- Replace a bridge that GDOT deems “scour critical” with unstable abutments and minor cracks in its beams
- Create a 125-feet long, 38-foot wide bridge (in place of the current 90-foot long, 24-foot wide bridge) with two 11-foot lanes and a 6.5-foot shoulder on both sides
- Raise the bridge approximately 7.7 feet to meet hydraulic requirements for Little River and prevent overtopping
The other bridge in line to be replaced is along Clarity Road (or County Road in Cherokee), with 150 vehicles a day traversing its single lane. The new bridge is set to:
- Replace a bridge GDOT says has a wooden deck with minor to moderate splitting, deep pitting in its steel girders, and delamination in several areas
- Create a 70-feet long (over the current 48 feet) bridge with a slightly wider bridge deck, but the bridge will remain a one-lane road
- Raise the bridge approximately 3 feet to meet hydraulic requirements for Little River and prevent overtopping
- Realign the bridge to allow a better turning radius for those approaching it from the south
The Georgia Department of Transportation oversees inspections of bridges all across the state, determining which ones need maximum load limitations, repairs, and/or full-fledged replacements. This same State agency controls every aspect of subsequent projects, including construction and detours, but the City works to stay up-to-date to keep our citizens engaged and informed. The City is working with GDOT to incorporate Milton aesthetics on both of these bridges to blend with the rural heritage of Milton. We are also working with GDOT to incorporate Miltonesque aesthetics on both bridges to mesh with the community's rural heritage.
In addition to sharing input online, people can print a “comment form” (as seen here: https://www.dot.ga.gov/systems/ProjectDocuments/0018238%20and%200018240/PIOH_Printable_Comment_Form_0018238.40.pdf) to mail to State Environmental Administrator Amber Phillips, GDOT, 600 West Peach Street NW, 16th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30308.