The Georgia Department of Transportation held an informational meeting on April 21 concerning the proposed replacement of the bridge over the Chattahoochee River on State Routes 17 and 75 in White County. The bridge is located just north of the Highway 17/75 intersection, south of Helen.
Tuesday’s Public Information Open House was held at the Sautee-Nacoochee Center. GDOT officials informed the public about the proposed project during the gathering and answered questions. They said the project is currently in the preliminary design phase.
Aging infrastructure
According to the state transportation department, the bridge was built in 1941 and widened in 1990. It is in fair condition, with minor to moderate cracking throughout the deck. GDOT is replacing the bridge due to its age and deterioration, which the agency says “does not meet current design standards for load carrying capacity.”
The bridge replacement cost is estimated at around $11 million. The proposed work would utilize staged construction with an offset alignment of 46 feet to the west. This would allow traffic to continue using the bridge rather than detour around the project.
Helen City Manager Darrell Westmoreland attended the meeting. He said he was pleased that there would be no detour.
“They have assured us that the bridge will remain open while they’re building a new one, so there will be no detours on anything there,” he said.
A roundabout, too
Westmoreland said Helen city officials remain concerned about the timeframe and safety issues surrounding another proposed major road project in the area. GDOT plans to build a roundabout at the intersection of SR 17 and SR 75. He said that project is in the design stage. “So they couldn’t really give a date on that, but it is happening.”
Many residents have expressed greater concerns about the roundabout than the bridge project.
GDOT District One Communications Officer Nathan Johnston said the bridge replacement is scheduled to be put out for bid in December 2027. GDOT is accepting public comments on the project through May 2. To review the project proposal, click here. To submit feedback on the proposal, click here.
