I-85 Interchange: Road closures planned today for soil, pavement analysis
By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL
sarah@newnan.com
Behind-the-scenes work on the new Interstate 85 interchange at Poplar Road has been going on for years.
But now, boots are on the ground. At least for a little while.
Travelers are asked to use caution. There may be some minimal delays, according to Patricia Palmer, Coweta County public affairs director.
The analysis is a step in the engineering of the intersection project.
“Any time you do a new project, you need to know what is there — what the thickness of the pavement is, what the quality of the road base is,” Palmer said. “All of that feeds into the engineering plan and how we move forward.”
The conceptual plan for the interchange was recently approved by the Federal Highway Administration.
Now that the conceptual plan — essentially the basic outline for where the lanes will go and how the interchange will be laid out — is approved, the real work of design can begin in earnest.
“We’ve all been watching this and anticipating this for a long time,” Palmer said.
“Work has been going on for a long time, it’s just not been things that people can see.”
The work is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Most of today’s activity is expected to be in the area of the Newnan Crossing Boulevard, near the new Piedmont Newnan Hospital.Work is expected to take approximately two hours at each analysis location.
