Almost as soon as one bridge project over the Savannah River has concluded, another one will begin. The Georgia Department of Transportation plans to replace the 13th Street bridge that connects downtown Augusta with downtown North Augusta in the next few years.
The public can offer feedback on the project with the GDOT until Aug. 13. The City of Augusta, Augusta Canal Authority, and the City of North Augusta will be taking comments and questions about the project until Aug. 11.
The original two-lane bridge was built in 1939 and upgraded to four lanes in 1991. The bridge is showing signs of wear, with parts of it rated only in fair condition. It also no longer meets the current standards for bridges.
The construction phase of the project is scheduled for 2025. The overall cost is estimated at $56.7 million.
According to a video of the project (which you can view here), the new bridge will be the same approximate length as the current one, extending from Reynolds Street in Augusta to just past the municipal building in North Augusta.
Some of the major changes to the bridge will be a raised divider between traffic lanes and the addition of a six-foot-wide sidewalk on the east side of the bridge. The current sidewalk on the west side of the bridge will be widened to 10 feet and divided from traffic by a barrier. This sidewalk will connect to North Augusta’s Greeneway trail.
On the Georgia side, an underpass will allow Bartram Trail (along the Riverwalk) to connect with the Augusta Historic Canal Trail, making it possible to walk or bike from downtown Augusta to the Savannah Rapids.
The public can ask questions or make comments to local officials until Aug. 11. People to contact are:
City of Augusta Engineering Department
Hameed Malik, Director
HMalik@augustaga.gov
(706) 796-5040
City of Augusta Parks & Recreation
Maurice McDowell, Director
MMcDowell@augustaga.gov
(706) 796-5025
Augusta Canal Authority
Dayton Sherrouse, Executive Director
sherrouse@augustacanal.com
(706) 823-0440 Ext. 1
City of North Augusta
www.northaugusta.net
For more information on the project, visit the website or view a pdf of this brochure.
