I-20 Ramp Shuts Down Friday Forcing Thousands of Drivers To Detour

Just when you thought road construction on I-20 couldn't get any worse, it is. This Friday engineers plan to shutdown the entrance ramp from Washington Road to Westbound I-20 impacting more than 80,000 drivers on any given day.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is closing the ramp for the next 18-months.

“There's not enough room on the bridge to accommodate three lanes so that just means we have to go to two,” said Ernest Trussell, project engineer.

Safety was also a big concern for the closure after engineers shifted the lanes that cut off the acceleration lane forcing drivers to wait at this stop sign to merge onto traffic with many drivers going as fast as 60 miles per hour.

“This caused a lot of concern for us as far as safety of the public and our workers,” said Trussell.

G-DOT's new detour means drivers will now have to take Steven's Creek Road, keep straight on to Claussen Road, cross Riverwatch Parkway and head onto I-20. It's about a mile out of the way. Engineers say diverting traffic will allow them to finish construction faster.

“I think if people will bear with us and be patient in the next two to three years they are going to be surprised that we did a good job,” said Gary Pulliam, traffic engineer.

Engineers say they will reopen the ramp in April during Masters week.

After that engineers say the ramp will reopen for good in the summer of 2009.

I-20 Ramp Shuts Down Friday Forcing Thousands of Drivers To Detour

Just when you thought road construction on I-20 couldn't get any worse, it is. This Friday engineers plan to shutdown the entrance ramp from Washington Road to Westbound I-20 impacting more than 80,000 drivers on any given day.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is closing the ramp for the next 18-months.

“There's not enough room on the bridge to accommodate three lanes so that just means we have to go to two,” said Ernest Trussell, project engineer.

Safety was also a big concern for the closure after engineers shifted the lanes that cut off the acceleration lane forcing drivers to wait at this stop sign to merge onto traffic with many drivers going as fast as 60 miles per hour.

“This caused a lot of concern for us as far as safety of the public and our workers,” said Trussell.

G-DOT's new detour means drivers will now have to take Steven's Creek Road, keep straight on to Claussen Road, cross Riverwatch Parkway and head onto I-20. It's about a mile out of the way. Engineers say diverting traffic will allow them to finish construction faster.

“I think if people will bear with us and be patient in the next two to three years they are going to be surprised that we did a good job,” said Gary Pulliam, traffic engineer.

Engineers say they will reopen the ramp in April during Masters week.

After that engineers say the ramp will reopen for good in the summer of 2009.

I-20 Ramp Shuts Down Friday Forcing Thousands of Drivers To Detour

Just when you thought road construction on I-20 couldn't get any worse, it is. This Friday engineers plan to shutdown the entrance ramp from Washington Road to Westbound I-20 impacting more than 80,000 drivers on any given day.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is closing the ramp for the next 18-months.

“There's not enough room on the bridge to accommodate three lanes so that just means we have to go to two,” said Ernest Trussell, project engineer.

Safety was also a big concern for the closure after engineers shifted the lanes that cut off the acceleration lane forcing drivers to wait at this stop sign to merge onto traffic with many drivers going as fast as 60 miles per hour.

“This caused a lot of concern for us as far as safety of the public and our workers,” said Trussell.

G-DOT's new detour means drivers will now have to take Steven's Creek Road, keep straight on to Claussen Road, cross Riverwatch Parkway and head onto I-20. It's about a mile out of the way. Engineers say diverting traffic will allow them to finish construction faster.

“I think if people will bear with us and be patient in the next two to three years they are going to be surprised that we did a good job,” said Gary Pulliam, traffic engineer.

Engineers say they will reopen the ramp in April during Masters week.

After that engineers say the ramp will reopen for good in the summer of 2009.