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Published Monday, February 08, 2010 in Local

Spence closing today for construction work

By Elizabeth Melville

The Newnan Times-Herald

Construction has resumed at the intersection of Spence Avenue and Greenville Street, south of downtown Newnan.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has announced that Spence Avenue will be closed today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for additional work, according to Public Information Officer Gina Snider. The road will be closed from Greenville Street to Wall Street. Access to Wall Street will remain open, however.

Construction at the intersection has been off and on since work began in July 2009. The project consists of traffic improvements and streetscape additions. GDOT is adding left-hand turn lanes and signals at the intersection, along with utility and drainage improvements and associated curbing and sidewalks.

In December 2009, Kimberly Larson, the district 3 communication officer for GDOT, addressed the project delays. Larson said the project is being undertaken in-house at GDOT by their own maintenance forces to keep the costs lower. As a result, workers can be pulled from the Greenville/ Spence site at any time to assist with priority projects, like the ongoing Interstate 85 construction.

Additionally, crews have been carrying out much of the work at night to minimize traffic disruptions in the area. Larson also cited weather setbacks and the holidays as obstacles to resuming work.

"The guys are moving as quickly as they can," said Larson. "We may have to abandon it at times, but it will get done."

Larson said crews have completed the piping on Spence Avenue and the next phase will be curb and gutter work. They will construct concrete driveways, handicap access ramps and the sidewalks. This phase might be a challenge because crews have to maintain access to all of the area businesses' driveways at all times.

The final phase of work will include asphalt paving and striping, but this phase will have to wait until temperatures warm up, according to Larson.

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