The trip between Royston and Hartwell just got a little easier. The Georgia Department of Transportation on Tuesday opened the new State Route 8/US 29 bridge on the route connecting the two cities.
The new bridge runs over Beaverdam Creek. It replaces a 100-year-old bridge crossing that was originally installed in 1923 and widened in 1970.
The new bridge has two 12-foot lanes with 8-foot shoulders on each side. With guardrails in place, the roadway was opened to traffic.
Georgia DOT awarded the contract last May to Williams Contracting Company. Construction began last December and took nine months to complete. The old bridge was closed to traffic during construction, and a detour was put in place.
The new bridge is classified as a two-lane rural minor arterial roadway with a posted speed limit of 55 mph.
