SR 75 reopens to traffic after emergency repair

GDOT crews replaced a failed drainage pipe under SR 75/Helen Highway. The section of the highway that was closed reopened Tuesday night. (photo/GDOT)

State Route 75 between Helen and Cleveland is now open to traffic after a portion of it had to be shut down for emergency repairs.

Georgia Department of Transportation maintenance crews worked through the night Monday and all day Tuesday to replace a failed drainage pipe.

GDOT’s area spokesperson Katie Strickland says the road reopened just before 8 p.m. Tuesday

SR 75, better known as the Helen Highway, is due to be resurfaced on April 30. In the meantime, GDOT advises the road may be a bit rough where it was patched after the drainage pipe repair.

An emailed press release states, “Drivers will notice that this new portion of asphalt over the drainage pipe will be a more course material until the current resurfacing project on SR 75 is done. When resurfacing, an inch of this material will be milled off and a finer mix placed on top, making the roadway smoother.”

The scheduled completion for the 5 miles of resurfacing on SR 75 north of Asbestos Road to State Route 17 (SR17) is April 30.

Updated 4/4/17 @8pm