The $500 million I-16, I-75 interchange project in Georgia is nearing completion, with phases 2 and 3 on track to finish this spring. Additional phases include overpasses, ramps and road widening for smoother traffic flow and improved access to Macon.
GDOT photo
An overhead view of the Interstate 16 and Interstate 75 interchange project
The second and third phases of the Georgia Department of Transportation's (GDOT) $500 million improvement project for the Interstate 16 and Interstate 75 interchange are on track to finish this spring, giving Macon-area motorists more room to maneuver, as well as a reprieve from construction congestion and detours.
Despite recent rough winter weather, there have been no major challenges to keeping the project moving, said Gina Snider, a GDOT district communications director. The project timeline outlined on the department's website is up to date with current information, she added.
Contractor ER Snell, awarded $155 million for the two phases, is making several operational improvements to roughly 1 mi. of I-75 on both sides, from Hardeman Avenue to the southern and northern borders of the interchange.
When finished, there will be two new overpasses, reconfigurations to the exit ramps, new collector roads, and a bridge over the Ocmulgee River. Phase 3 also includes the start of building a new ramp that takes southbound I-75 motorists to east I-16, Snider said.
Phases four and five are in the works and expected to be finished next spring; a joint venture between contractors Webber LLC and United Infrastructure Group was awarded a $231 million contract in early 2021 for the work.
This part of the overall project includes widening and improving nearly 6 mi. of east and westbound I-16, starting at I-75 and ending at Walnut Creek in the Macon city limits. It also will see the widening of Second Street, to include sidewalks, and new exit and entrance ramps from Second Street to I-16 east, Snider said.
Additional roadwork will include:
• Completion of I-16 east build-out that began in phase 1.
• Completion of ramp and collector road construction that began in phase 2.
• Full access to Spring Street from I-16 east.
• Reopening of the Spring Street loop ramp.
• Elimination of the northbound turn lane from Spring Street to I-16 west.
• Completion of west-to-north ramp construction that began in phase 3.
• Completion of work on the north-to-east ramp began in phase 2.
Phase six is in the design stage and expected to go to bid in fiscal 2026.
It will focus on improving traffic capacity on north and southbound I-75 from the I-16 interchange to Pierce Avenue, along with the construction of a 1,600-ft.-long bridge for the Norfolk Southern Railroad that runs under I-75, and the completion of work on I-75 north of I-16, Snider said.
The project began in June 2017 with the intent of improving safety, reducing traffic congestion, improving access to downtown Macon and making improvements to at least 11 bridges and local street intersections. By adding and extending turn lanes, traffic can move more smoothly. Helping commercial and freight trucks moving goods from ports to major cities has an economic impact; connector roads will also help separate local traffic from motorists and truckers just passing through.
Earlier phases now complete include improvements to about 1.5 mi. of east and westbound I-16 between I-75 and Coliseum Drive. Contractor CW Matthews won the $70 million contract and finished the work nearly two years ago, Snider said.
The Pleasant Hill Mitigation phase, awarded to contractor ER Snell for $13 million, brought improvements to the community on both sides of I-75, to include:
• A new park along the east side of northbound I-75 that includes green space, a multi-use trail, lighting and information kiosks that tell the history of Pleasant Hill.
• Creation of the Jefferson Long Park on the west side of the interstate, featuring landscaping and a community garden.
• Relocation of Little Richard's boyhood home, the Penniman House, to the new Jefferson Long Park on the west side of the interstate, where it will serve as a museum dedicated to the iconic singer and a community resource center that includes a display of mobile interpretive panels specially made for the project.
• Relocation and rehabilitation of homes impacted by the interchange construction work; some were demolished and replaced with new homes fitting the neighborhood's historic character. This work was done in cooperation with the Macon-Bibb Community Enhancement Authority.
• Construction of walls along the interstate to mitigate traffic views and noise.
• Replacing the David Lucas pedestrian bridge.
• Turning a 1,700-ft.-long open drainage ditch into a grass-covered culvert.
• Streetscaping improvements to 3.5 mi. throughout the community.
• Closure of the frontage road between First and Second streets to create a greenspace entrance to the pedestrian bridge.
• Development of a heritage tour that highlights historical structures and areas in the community.
The parks and Penniman House were completed in 2018; most of the other improvements have since finished, but a few remain in the works, with final completion expected this fall, according to GDOT.
(All photos courtesy of GDOT.)
Lorie Jewell
Lorie Jewell is a freelance writer and photographer living in a multi-generational household in the foothills of Mount Rainier, Wash., where she spends her days helping with grandkids and dogs, shooting league pool, reading, working word and jigsaw puzzles, binging '90s sitcoms, knitting and crocheting, baking or hanging out at the archery club. She can also be found a couple days a week in local cemeteries, documenting headstones and grave locations for genealogists. A Florida transplant and Army combat veteran, she holds a bachelor’s degree in English and an MFA in creative nonfiction writing.
Read more from Lorie Jewell here.
Today's top stories
