GDOT delays Columbus bridge’s temporary closure over Interstate 185
The temporary closure of a Columbus bridge that was announced last week has been delayed.
Instead of closing the Buena Vista Road bridge over Interstate 185 from the night of May 29 to the morning of May 30, the Georgia Department of Transportation now plans to close the bridge from 7 p.m. June 5 to 6 a.m. June 6, the Columbus Consolidated Government announced Tuesday.
The closure is part of the modification project for the I-185 interchange at Buena Vista Road. GDOT spokeswoman Penny Brooks explained the reason for the bridge closure’s delay.
“The contractors saw the extended weather forecast in Columbus includes high chances of rain and storms through the week and weekend,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email. “As the teams will be restripng roadway and installing new signs and signals, they’ll need dry weather to do that.”
The bridge closure will allow contractors to complete a traffic shift for the interchange’s new diverging diamond pattern.
“Alert signage will be installed in advance to alert drivers of this scheduled change,” GDOT’s news release says. “The event has been scheduled to occur during overnight hours in order to have the least possible impact upon all drivers, local and commercial.
“During the pattern shift, the bridge will be closed to all traffic. The ramps will remain open but only those turning right onto Buena Vista Road from Interstate 185 will be able to access the interchange. Those who would turn left onto Buena Vista Road from Interstate 185 will need to use a detour route utilizing an alternate exit before or after the Buena Vista Road interchange. Detour signage will be in place throughout the event.”
The Buena Vista Road project is about 77% complete, according to a presentation by Vance Beck, Columbus director of engineering, during a Columbus Council work session last month. This project was reported as being about 75% completed during an infrastructure update presented to the council last October.
It has a budget of about $52.7 million, according to information provided to the Ledger-Enquirer by deputy city manager Pam Hodge, with about $46 million already committed. The CCG data shows the Buena Vista Road project is now estimated to be completed this winter. Construction on the project began in 2020.
“They’re still experiencing some utility conflicts,” Beck told the council. “That’s what has taken that one so long. Anytime you widen an existing facility that’s already got all the underground infrastructure from utilities to drainage, those projects tend to go very slow.”
Crews have had to extend every drainage pipe and move all the pipes to install new inlets as they widened to the road, Beck explained. This has taken the bulk of the time in working to complete this project, he said.
“You’ve got fiber, water and gas,” Beck said. “You’ve got all the overhead utilities. That was a large project.”
What’s a diverging diamond traffic pattern?
In a diverging diamond, the GDOT explained, traffic is moved to the opposite side (the left side) of the interchange, allowing drivers making left turns to do so without crossing in front of other vehicles. This reduction in potential conflicts, combined with the lowered driver speed necessary to maneuver through the pattern, have been proven to improve safety in interchanges throughout Georgia and the United States, according to GDOT.
“When traveling through the Buena Vista Road diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 185 for the first time, drivers are encouraged to proceed at a moderate speed and be alert to the new signs and signals directing them to their destinations,” the news release said. “Local residents and frequent drivers through Columbus-Muscogee County are encouraged to share information regarding this alert with family, friends, neighbors and colleagues, so that all can be prepared for this change at this busy interchange.”
Ledger-Enquirer reporter Brittany McGee contributed to this article.
