GDOT plans to replace Oglethorpe Bridge

ALBANY — The Georgia Department of Transportation has announced the inclusion of some $16 million in its Fiscal Year 2022 budget to replace the historic Oglethorpe Bridge spanning the Flint River at U.S. Highway 82/State Route 520.

City Manager Sharon Subadan shared the news with Albany City Commissioners Wednesday morning before the city sent a news release to media later that afternoon. The announcement comes the day after Dougherty County voters approved a transportation special-purpose local-option sales tax referendum.

“This is something we’ve been talking with GDOT officials about for a while,” Subadan said. “We met with one of their consultants last year and told them it was one of our priorities. They were very amenable to the idea and told us then we really should pursue a T-SPLOST. The consultant said (government agencies) that have transportation money of their own are likely to get more.

“We had a good meeting, and we’re pleased to make this announcement today.”

Subadan said the proposed project, which will take 24 months to complete, will include:

— A proposed construction letting date of April 2021;

— An estimated project cost of $16 million;

— A projected construction period of 24 months;

— Four 12-foot travel lanes with traffic-separated pedestrian crossings on both sides of the bridge;

— A 5-foot-5 sidewalk on the north side of the bridge and a 12-foot-wide barrier-separated shared-use path on the south side of the bridge that will connect to the Riverfront Trail System;

— Wider turn movement from the bridge onto Front Street.

GDOT officials will hold what is expected to be the first of several public hearings March 28 from 4-6 p.m. at the Albany Government Center at 222 Pine Ave. Transportation officials say they will unveil a planned detour that will be in place during construction of the bridge at that meeting. They are seeking the public’s input on the plan.

“I think everyone appreciated the work on the (recently completed) Broad Avenue Bridge,” Ward IV Albany City Commissioner Roger Marietta said Wednesday. “And there will be some who say we don’t need to replace the Oglethorpe Bridge, but time marches on. If we wait until it fails, we’ll have a catastrophe on our hands.

“My dad always taught me not to look a gift horse in the mouth. The funding for this project is all coming from the state, so we need to take advantage of this opportunity for another major infrastructure upgrade.”

The current Oglethorpe Bridge was built in 1953, and a study of the structure has shown that it does not meet current design standards.

“The detour is obviously going to have a big impact on the city,” Subadan said. “So we encourage the public to come to the hearing and weigh in on that aspect of the project. It’s part of the process.

“It’s exciting, though, huge that we’ll have the opportunity to receive a new state-funded project that will have a big impact on our community.”

Proposed preliminary detours for the project include the Broad Avenue Bridge and the U.S. 19 Bypass.

Those who can’t attend the meeting may visit www.dot.ga.gov/PS/Public/PublicOutreach to view project files and leave comments.