Consider it an early Christmas gift to travelers — or a three-month delayed project. Either way, the Georgia Welcome Center on Interstate 85 south in Lavonia is scheduled to reopen for use Friday, December 11 after extensive renovations.The center has been closed since July 20th. The work was scheduled to be completed in mid-September but additional problems arose once construction began and the 55-day project turned into a 143-day overhaul of the facility.
The Georgia Department of Transportation says most of the major systems in the building were replaced. “The Staff of the Welcome Center is moving back into the building and restocking information to be ready for the opening Friday,” says GDOT District Engineer Brent Cook.
Cook explains there were “major” plumbing issues discovered after work on the center began requiring the installation of a new water line into the building. “Delays in material deliveries also slowed work,” he adds.
Improvements were made from the roof to the parking lot and down to the water lines. The Lavonia Welcome Center now has a new heating and air conditioning system, new drywall and fresh paint. Cook says it’s also now more environmentally friendly with low flow, automatic flush valve toilets, LED lighting inside and outside, as well as light occupancy sensors that automatically turn lights on and off.
Renovations cost the state $720,000 and were completed by Prime Contractors of Powder Springs.
The 16,640 square foot Welcome Center opened in 1996 in advance of the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.
