GDOT: I-20 repaving woes may be worth it later

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A road repaving project on a metro Atlanta interstate that sees heavy traffic may inconvenience drivers this week, but officials say it will be worth it in the end.

Nine miles of I-20 through the western part of Douglas County beginning at Highway 5 will get resurfaced, but first crews need to prep the road. That will happen during the middle of the day starting Monday.

Drivers can expect rolling road blocks along I-20 Monday through the middle of the week.

The Georgia Department of Transportation says the pacing is needed to survey the road and place markers from Highway 5 west to the Liberty Road exit.

All work will be done between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to avoid rush-hour traffic.

"It needs to be resurfaced. All the way from here down towards Bremen on the concrete part, a lot of water standing, cause a lot of hydroplaning," said driver Claude Pugh.

Parts of the 9 miles of interstate are showing their age.

The new asphalt will go right over top of the old concrete surface, making it not only easier to drive on but safer.

"We can plan on crashes happening on that section of I-20 right at the beginning of the rain," said WSB traffic reporter Captain Herb Emory.

Emory lives in the area and reported on some bad crashes in wet condition. Resurfacing will help solve the problem with a change in the slope.

It will go from a 1 percent grade to the standard 2 percent, which doesn't sound like much, but that difference will help the water run off the sides of the road and not down the road.

So a little inconvenience now is expected to pay off by saving lives.

"It's going to be a great help. I think it will reduce the crash count quiet significantly in that area of I-20," Emory said.

Work on the actual resurfacing won't start until later in the spring when it warms up. That will close some lanes one at a time until the project is finished at the end of the year.

WSBTV