Georgia DOT resumes construction this weekend on the State Route 20 bridge replacement over the Chattahoochee River. Construction stopped in late September because the project was originally permitted to use barges as a working platform for bridge construction and demolition.
Because of daily water releases from the Buford Dam and water levels that change too quickly, barges can’t now be used. Stone jetties have been approved through a complex interagency coordination between GDOT, National Park Service, Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
“Because the river is a National Park Service Recreation Area, no work is allowed in the River from April 1 to Oct. 31 annually. The jetty will be removed during peak recreation season because jetties change the water flow,” explained Brent Cook, Georgia DOT district engineer.
The 1.07 mile long project widens SR 20 from James Burgess Road in Forsyth to Burnett Trail in Gwinnett to a four-lane divided highway with sidewalks and new bridges.
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