County updates Lower Cartecay Bridge Replacement
News February 17, 2022
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Since April of 2017, almost five years ago, the Lower Cartecay Road Bridge has been closed. This came due to an inspection deeming the bridge “unsafe.” Since then, Gilmer has pushed for a state project for bridge replacements and achieved it with Lower Cartecay taking the priority place that another bridge in the county held.
Now, a new update from Public Works Director Jim Smith has reported that right of way acquisition was completed in January. Smith went on to add the final field plans could be ready by July. With this update, a major change is coming to Gilmer’s future plans for the bridge.
The acquisition costs were shared between the state and the county at 50 percent each. However, this was the only costs the county incurred with the, originally estimated in 2017, $1.2 million project for replacement. In 2019, an update from the county reported the invoice for right of way acquisition totaled $50,000, which Gilmer paid shortly after receiving. Since then, the state has taken over with an expectation to begin construction in 2025.
Last March, the state also began plans for replacement of bridges on Highway 52 East. This conflicted with the area as Smith said at the time that detour traffic would need Lower Cartecay’s Bridge. Reports at the time suggested that the state might be looking at an earlier state date that could be in 2022. Smith said this month that the state is scheduling Lower Cartecay’s replacement to begin construction this December.
However, construction time, according to Smith, will be 18 months. This means that construction will still not complete until June 2024. Smith also noted that the two bridges on 52 East are tentatively set for 2028, long after the completion of Lower Cartecay to serve as the detour route.
Plans for the bridge are to build a spanning bridge to avoid disturbance of the water with pillars. This plan came after the discovery that the area was home to a rare fish called the Goldline Darter. It is a protected fish in state regulations as a “threatened species of fish.”
Lower Cartecay Bridge to start construction before a temporary closure to 52 East
News March 10, 2021
ELLIJAY, Ga. – During the county’s monthly work session today, information received over a zoom call was revealed as Commission Chairman Charlie Paris, along with Public Works Director Jim Smith spoke on it’s involvement with another Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) bridge project.
According to Smith, the state is discussing replacement of two bridges on Highway 52 East. The project would require a detour along state roads as they plan to go about the project. Smith went on to add that this could mean closure of as section of the highway for up to a year.
Through traffic would take alternative state roads. However, Smith noted that much of the local traffic would end up relying on Lower Cartecay Bridge for certain traffic and access routes. The project has been under discussion since it was condemned in April, 2017. It was later adopted into a state replacement program, and it was later given a priority over another local bridge.
Now, the bridge could see the beginning of construction to replace it over five years later. According to Chairman Paris, the date given by the state would be August, 2022.
In addition to this, Smith said that the state hopes to start its 52 East Bridges project in 2025.
Public Works Director Jim Smith
Paris added later that Smith presented a strong argument that the DOT needs to move the start date on Lower Cartecay to a earlier date so that the bridge will definitely be completed and available for traffic as necessary for local traffic.
While the state made no official promises, Smith said representatives “didn’t disagree” with a need for an earlier start to Lower Cartecay.
This project has gone through several plans for replacement in the county as former Post Commissioner Travis Crouch debated for setting aside money in the annual budget to replace the bridge before the board found the state replacement program.
A massive reduction in local costs, the county applied and was accepted into the program, but has, until today, never heard of official start dates for the physical construction as the state has been acquiring right of ways and engineering plans for the project.
Paris said both he and Smith stressed the importance of having he bridge completed sooner rather than later, especially with another major bridge project nearby so close behind it on the timeline.