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Crews with C. W. Matthews Contracting Company, Inc. of Marietta will start two projects at the Interstate 85 and Georgia 18 interchange, Exit 2, on Friday, according to a press release from the Georgia Department of Transportation. 

Initial work at the site includes clearing the construction areas. Utility crews will make adjustments to critical lines and infrastructure later this summer and visible construction is expected to start this fall. The entire project is anticipated to be complete in spring, 2023.

The projects include installing roundabouts where the exit and entrance ramps to the interstate connect with Georgia 18, putting in another roundabout to the east at the Georgia 18 and Georgia 103 intersection, and also replacing the bridges over Long Cane Creek, just to the west of the interchange. The two projects were bid as a single contract as they’ll be undertaken simultaneously, for a combined total of $16 million.

The projects were planned to address the anticipated growth of traffic at the interchange, especially commercial vehicles, and also to improve safety, per the press release. The roundabouts will be specially built to accommodate large semi-trucks as well as passenger cars. The Long Cane Creek bridges are being replaced because they were built in the early 1960s and no longer meet modern design standards.

While construction is underway, crews may install a lane closure for safety and efficiency. In addition, all eastbound and westbound traffic on Georgia 18 will be moved onto a single bridge while the other is being razed and then replaced. For these reasons, traffic may experience back-ups, particularly during regular commute hours. Local residents and commercial drivers should consider alternate routes, or use a GPS app or the NaviGAtor app to get around the interchange. Even so, at no point in the project will workers install a full closure at the site. 

Motorists are advised to expect delays, exercise caution, and reduce their speed while traveling through work zones.