Georgia and South Carolina announce collaborative infrastructure project on I-20

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley jointly announced a state partnership for an estimated $75 million project to replace the existing Interstate 20 bridges over the Savannah River and the Augusta Canal, and to widen a portion of I-20.

Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Commissioner Russell R. McMurry and South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Secretary Christy Hall joined their board members and legislators for the ceremonious signing of a joint resolution funding the project to enhance safety and operations on both sides of the Savannah River.

Four I-20 bridges —two eastbound and two westbound—currently cross the Augusta Canal and Savannah River. The twin 28-foot-wide, two-lane structures are over 50 years old.

The proposed replacement bridges will each provide three travel lanes in one direction with shoulders on the inside and outside. Interstate 20 will be widened from four to six lanes from River Watch Parkway (Exit 200) in Georgia to West Martintown Road (Exit 1) in South Carolina, a distance of approximately 2.5 miles.

Each day over 60,000 vehicles travel this area. The current bridges are narrow by modern design standards and require additional lanes and emergency lanes for vehicles. After meticulous evaluation of construction staging, hydraulic concerns and future maintenance cost, the decision to replace the bridges was the most beneficial long-term solution.  Additionally, the widening of I-20 at the border is a project that is a high priority for SCDOT.

GDOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry and SCDOT Secretary Christy A. Hall understand the transportation need to update aging infrastructure and the urgency to deliver.

SCDOT and GDOT will pay a proportional share of preliminary engineering and construction costs. Georgia DOT will procure the project through a design-build contract to expedite delivery. In design-build, the Department solicits qualified teams to present innovative solutions that meet the required scope of services and goals. The project is slated to be put out to contract in fall 2018.  Additional information will be available once a design-build contractor is selected.