A construction crew is slated to begin removing the memorial to Athens Confederate soldiers Monday night.
During the next several days, the four lanes of Broad Street will be closed as the memorial is taken down at night, according to an announcement sent to the Athens Banner-Herald.
The work at College Avenue and Broad Street is being done at night because of the heavy traffic on Broad during the day, according to the announcement.
Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz and the city’s commission approved the removal of the monument at their June 25 meeting. The removal of the monument will make way for construction of an expanded crosswalk to accommodate 200 to 300 more pedestrians per hour more safely in the heavily trafficked area, according to WGAU Radio. The monument also serves as a visual impediment for vehicles and for pedestrians crossing East Broad Street.
Once removed, the monument will be stored temporarily until placed in a new location this fall. The new location for the monument will be near Barber Creek, where the Athens Civil War battles took place.
The Ladies Memorial Association erected the memorial in 1871-1872 in memory of Confederate soldiers from Athens who died in the Civil War. Originally located in the center of the College Avenue and Washington Street intersection, it was moved to East Broad Street in 1912.
