Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Troup County Board of Commissioners recently received an update on the three ongoing bridge construction projects Polecat Creek, Long Cane Creek and Flat Shoals Creek.

County Engineer James Emery provided an update on all three bridges as well as their estimated completion dates at the commissioner’s meeting on Aug. 15.

Polecat Creek Bridge

The Tucker Road Bridge at Polecat Creek is the only county road (CR 179) of the trio of bridges. The bridge is located approximately 8.5 miles southeast of LaGrange and was originally constructed in 1965.

Emery said the demolition of the old Tucker Road bridge has been completed. The former bridge was multi-span and will be replaced with a new 90-foot single-span bridge.

A bid was awarded to CW Matthews at $1,877,000, who officially began the project on May 30. The current estimated completion date is March 31, 2024.

Long Cane Creek Bridge

The bridge on Hamilton Road at Long Cane Creek is a state route bridge (US 27), so the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is overseeing the project. The bridge is located near the Troup County Sheriff’s Office and the Fire Department Administration Building.

Emery said traffic has already been slightly detoured onto a temporary bridge that has been completed adjacent to the original bridge.

GDOT plans to replace the former 120-foot, two-lane bridge, with a new 150- foot, two-lane bridge. Plans for the new bridge call for 12-foot lanes and eight-foot outside shoulders.

The estimated completion date for the permanent bridge is Oct. 31, 2023, but Emery said the manager for the project expects the completion date to be pushed further as they are running behind.

Flat Shoals Creek Bridge

The final bridge at Flat Shoals Creek is the biggest project of the three bridge replacements and the second bridge replacement on Hamilton Road (US 27). The bridge is located south of Smokey Rd. and north of Hagler Rd. Unlike Long Cane Creek, the road’s bridge on Flat Shoal has been closed and uses an offsite detour through Interstate 185 and State Route 18 as the official detour.

The current expected completion date is Nov. 12.