Gov. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.) today announced a partnership with South Carolina for an estimated $75 million project to replace existing Interstate 20 bridges over the Savannah River and the Augusta Canal, and add lanes on I-20 to Exit 1 in South Carolina. The project will enhance safety and operations on both sides of the Savannah River.
The proposed replacement bridges will each provide three travel lanes in each direction, as well as a refuge area for vehicles. I-20 will be widened from four to six lanes from River Watch Parkway (Exit 200) in Georgia to West Martintown Road (Exit 1) in South Carolina, then transition back to four lanes on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River.
Each day, more than 60,000 vehicles travel on I-20 in the area of the Georgia and South Carolina line. The two eastbound and two westbound bridges that currently go over the Augusta Canal and Savannah River are now more than 50 years old. After extensive evaluations of construction staging, hydraulic concerns and future maintenance costs, it was determined that replacement of the bridges would be the most beneficial long-term solution.
GDOT and the South Carolina Department of Transportation will pay a proportional share of preliminary engineering and construction costs. GDOT will procure the project through a design-build contract to expedite delivery. The project is slated to be out to bid in fall 2018.
