The $40 million road widening of Highway 196 east is 20 percent complete, yet the comprehensive project faces another year or more of construction.
The Department of Transportation approved the project because of heavy traffic flow and the high number of wrecks on the highway, DOT contract manager Derek Edenfield said.
Upon completion, the highway will feature two lanes in each direction along with two new bridges, R.B. Baker Construction manager Trace Martell said.
Since the project commenced, R.B. Baker has cleared the appropriate land, implemented erosion control measures and is 50 percent done with the earthwork that consists of adding 400,000 to 500,000 cubic yards of new soil, he said.
During the next six months, a drainage system will be installed. Most of the work is expected to take place at night, but multiple traffic interruptions should be anticipated, Martell said.
“We will saw-cut half the roadway, lay the pipes and cover them with concrete and steel plates. This will take one night, and we will repeat this process the following night on the other half of the roadway,” he said. “This will limit a portion of the road to one-way traffic, and we plan to repeat this process 79 times.”
After the drainage pipes are installed, workers will balance and sub-grade the new lanes, add 10 inches of granite rock (which will be rolled and compacted, and place three layers of asphalt over the flattened granite to finish the job, he said.
For Liberty County, the DOT is also working on the Hinesville bypass, the widening of SR 119/Airport Road and the extension of Frank Cochran Drive, Edenfield said.
Regarding construction on Frank Cochran, Edenfield said he has not been told who will finish it.
The Department of Transportation approved the project because of heavy traffic flow and the high number of wrecks on the highway, DOT contract manager Derek Edenfield said.
Upon completion, the highway will feature two lanes in each direction along with two new bridges, R.B. Baker Construction manager Trace Martell said.
Since the project commenced, R.B. Baker has cleared the appropriate land, implemented erosion control measures and is 50 percent done with the earthwork that consists of adding 400,000 to 500,000 cubic yards of new soil, he said.
During the next six months, a drainage system will be installed. Most of the work is expected to take place at night, but multiple traffic interruptions should be anticipated, Martell said.
“We will saw-cut half the roadway, lay the pipes and cover them with concrete and steel plates. This will take one night, and we will repeat this process the following night on the other half of the roadway,” he said. “This will limit a portion of the road to one-way traffic, and we plan to repeat this process 79 times.”
After the drainage pipes are installed, workers will balance and sub-grade the new lanes, add 10 inches of granite rock (which will be rolled and compacted, and place three layers of asphalt over the flattened granite to finish the job, he said.
For Liberty County, the DOT is also working on the Hinesville bypass, the widening of SR 119/Airport Road and the extension of Frank Cochran Drive, Edenfield said.
Regarding construction on Frank Cochran, Edenfield said he has not been told who will finish it.