Calhoun Expressway Gets Update

Calhoun Expressway Gets Update

Changes are coming for Augusta’s John C. Calhoun Expressway, including new lights similar to others already up around the area, officials said Monday.

Work on the expressway, which for 40 years has linked Washington Road to the downtown business district, is in the early stages, but contractors have removed light poles from the center median and started concrete repairs. Traffic also might be reduced to one lane to allow for future work in the $8.4 million project funded by the Transportation Investment Act.

According to a TIA Concept Report, the project “will include pavement replacement, resurfacing and rehabilitation to improve the structural integrity, ride quality and aesthetics of this gateway corridor.”

More changes will involved drainage improvements, new lighting, guardrail replacement, landscaping, signs and other aesthetics.

Kyle Collins, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Transportation, said the new lights will be similar to those used in the recent Berckmans Road construction and others installed on River Watch Parkway.

The 200 median lights installed on River Watch remain off as Georgia Power continues to work on the wiring, Collins said. He estimates they should be turned on in the next month.

The River Watch lights have gained notice because they were placed about every 100 feet, which is partially because of the wattage. Collins said they are single-headed 150-watt fixtures instead of the double-headed 250-watt fixtures, which means it will require a larger number of fixtures to get the same lighting level.

The River Watch project is expected to continue through summer. Because of weather conditions, a resurfacing project from the Columbia County line to 15th Street is now scheduled to begin Wednesday night.

According to a news release, the 7-mile resurfacing is part of the $9.6 million River Watch improvement project and is scheduled to be completed by August.

Work will is planned from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following morning; Typical weekly plans are to pave Monday through Saturday nights until complete.

Work will begin near the Columbia County line on River Watch Parkway and work back toward downtown Augusta.

Source: The Augusta Chronicle
Author: Bianca Cain Johnson/Staff Writer