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Published Friday, November 13, 2009 in Local

Photo by Sarah Fay Campbell

I-85 lane work Thursday afternoon looking south from McCollum-Sharpsburg bridge.

Interstate 85 project behind schedule

By Sarah Fay Campbell

The Times-Herald

The Interstate 85 project through Coweta County is in the home stretch -- but don't expect barrel-free, 70-mph commutes come Jan. 1.

While portions of the project are on or even ahead of schedule, the middle section won't be done by Dec. 31, the original completion date.

The section from Bullsboro Drive/Exit 47 to Exit 56, Collinsworth Road/Palmetto, is behind schedule, according to Kimberly Larson, spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Transportation.

That section was "affected the most by the historic rainfall," Larson said. The heavy rainfall of the past two months saturated the exposed dirt, delaying compaction and the pouring of concrete and asphalt.

No estimated completion date is available.

However, "work is progressing" on that section, Larson said.

On Thursday, crews were working on new lanes near Ga. Hwy. 154. Some areas are still dirt, while others have a bottom layer of asphalt awaiting a topping of concrete.

On Saturday, there will be a lane closure on 85 northbound near mile markers 50 and 51 as crews repair holes and cracks in the pavement.

The "spall" repair is set to occur between 9 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday. Delays are expected, Larson said. The repairs of the cracks and holes are not really related to the rest of the I-85 project, Larson said on Tuesday.

Southward, ramp closures at Bullsboro Drive were scheduled to continue through today.

According to DOT reports, the northbound on-ramp and southbound off-ramps were to be closed weeknights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., and from 9 p.m. today to 9 a.m. Saturday.

However, on Wednesday night, the southbound off-ramp was closed, and the northbound on-ramp was open around 9 p.m.

DOT officials did not respond to telephone inquires about the discrepancy Thursday.

Though the middle section of the project is behind schedule, the northern and southern portions are expected to be complete by Dec. 31.

South of Bullsboro Drive, the speed limit has already been raised to 70 mph for southbound drivers. There is still median work to be done on the inside lane, which is why only two lanes have been opened, Larson said. The third lane will likely be opened by mid-December.

A lane shift for the northbound lanes should occur next week, south of Bullsboro, Larson said. After that lane shift, the speed limit will be returned to 70 mph, south of Bullsboro.

The far northern portion of the project, between Palmetto and Ga. Hwy. 74 in Fairburn, "should still be completed by the end of the year, since only ramp work remains at Exit 61," Larson said. However, "the opening of all lanes on that section will rely on the completion of the Coweta section."