WALTHOURVILLE — The first ceremonial shovels of dirt were turned Monday morning. The real dirt moving is underway.

Officials expect it will take two years of more earth moving and road building before phase 1 of the Hinesville bypass is complete, and they gathered at Baconton Missionary Baptist Church for a groundbreaking Monday morning.

“It’s been a long time coming, folks, but we’re here,” said Ann Purcell, chair of the state Transportation Board and also its representative for the 1st Congressional District, which includes Liberty County.

Local officials have been working on the bypass for more than 20 years, trying to identify a route and once that happened, trying to secure the funding for it.

Words cannot express how glad I am to see it happen,” said Liberty County Commission Chairman Donald Lovette.

The bypass will begin at Highway 84 one-half mile south of the intersection with Highway 119, just outside of Walthourville, in Long County. The new road will run parallel to 119 and eventually tie back into it east of the intersection with Dunlevie Road.

The bypass also will cross over the rail line and the flyover to be built also is seen as needed for public safety. For now, when ambulances and fire engines have to go east on 119, they may get stopped at the railroad crossing adjacent to Walthourville City Hall.

“This bypass is long, long past due,” said Commissioner Marion Stevens. “With this bypass, every emergency service will have an alternate route. Sometimes, they might be life or death. It beats the wait of that train. It might be a half mile or three-quarters of a mile out of the way.”

Since the new bypass will cross a number of wetlands, there will be about 1,700 feet of bridges included in the road.

“The main things are the bridges,” said L.N. Manchi of Atlas Engineering.

Local sources, including proceeds from the transportation special purpose local option sales tax, provided about $5 million. The state has contributed $27.7 million to the project, and the federal government has pledged $2.7 million for the project.

Officials pointed to the size of the local share as key in securing state and federal backing for the bypass.

“This is a collaborative project,” Lovette said. “Putting skin in the game has come to your rescue once again.”

Purcell noted the work on the bypass first started more than 20 years ago, and the former state representative also praised the Legislature, including state Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway) for backing road needs across the state.

“Without the funding from our state legislators, the state of Georgia and Liberty County would not be where it was today,” she said.

Rep. Williams said when he does speak to the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, he mentions the bypass.

“I don’t know of another county our size, a city our size, that does not have a bypass,” Williams said. “As the port has grown and we measure the 18-wheelers that roll through Hinesville, the impact will be to the benefit of the county and for them not to have to stop at stoplights. They can go around our community. “This bypass is going to mean a lot.”

Liberty County’s own investment through sales tax dollars also is an advantage for the future, Williams and other officials pointed out.

“But most importantly, thanks to the voters,” said former county administrator Joey Brown. “Without SPLOST and TSPLOST, you would not be sitting here today if those two issues don’t get renewed, it is very, very, very doubtful you will ever see a phase 2 of this bypass. It’s just that simple. The competition for dollars is steep and you have to be able to generate the money locally to make this happen.”

“It is a marathon, not a sprint,” Williams added. “The competition (for funding) is keen. But let’s continue to push.”

A Moreland Altobelli 2010 traffic study showed a need to shift regional traffic away from the Highway 84 section that cuts through Hinesville. Travel demand models put together by the Hinesville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization projected traffic volumes on Highway 84 increasing by 64% by 2035. With that projection, the current Highway 84 would not meet future traffic demand.

Data collected in August 2010 shows the traffic in Hinesville on Highway 84 to be 19% trucks.

“Liberty County is growing,” Stevens said. “It is growing faster than we realize. Today, traffic is not getting less; it’s getting more.”

The bypass will have two 12-foot lanes and 10-foot shoulders. Reeves Construction was awarded the contract for the first phase.

Phase 2 will take the bypass from 119 to a juncture with Highways 84 and 196. More work on that road needs to be made, including choosing a final route. Phase 2 will be roughly 10 miles long, Manchi said, depending on the route chosen.

“This bypass is a great thing,” said Walthourville Mayor Sarah Hayes. “This is a great thing for Liberty County, especially for Walthourville.”