Cars pass over the Little River Bridge, which was damaged two years ago by equipment from a big truck. Repairs are expected to last until Oct. 31. JIM BLAYLOCK/STAFF

But soon, truckers will see a detour and motorists will notice a stoplight at night to allow one lane of traffic to pass safely. Next month, the bridge will be closed for two weekends.

It's part of a plan to repair the damaged bridge, which passes over Thurmond Lake as the only link between Columbia and Lincoln counties. The bridge was damaged about two years ago when a truck carrying a piece of heavy equipment struck the top of the structure.

Next Thursday, work to fix the damage will begin by L.C. Whitford Construction Inc., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31. Jack Cooper, the area engineer for the Georgia Department of Transportation, said motorists are expected to see little change in their travel across the bridge during the daytime.

Little River Bridge, the connector from Columbia County to Lincoln County over the lake, will be repaired beginning Thursday. Most of the construction will occur during nighttime to help with the traffic flow, but the bridge will be closed for two weekends. Click on the graphic for a larger version

However, from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. they will encounter only one lane open. The bridge also will be closed Sept. 8 and Sept. 15 from midnight those two Saturdays until 6 a.m. the following Mondays.

''They're trying to do night work as much as possible, when less traffic is on the road,'' Mr. Cooper said. ''We could have shut the entire road down and been quicker probably, but I think doing it this way is less inconvenient to the public. We just ask them to drive with caution.''

Mr. Cooper said truckers will be the most inconvenienced, having to take a 45-minute to one-hour detour.

''They're the ones that are going to be cussing us out,'' he said with a laugh, adding that trucks won't be permitted because most of the work will be overhead. ''But hopefully, the contractor will have some good luck and will hopefully get through before he's anticipating.''

Business owners in Lincoln County also might be affected by the construction. Cooper Cliatt, the owner of Cliatt Crossing convenience store, said he expects to lose about 25 percent in sales on the weekends when the bridge is closed.

''That will probably knock our business down because people going to the lake will have to reroute and go different ways,'' he said. ''But the rest of it won't hurt us too bad. I think the DOT has gone out of their way and they really did try to meet the needs as much as they could.''

Georgia transportation officials estimated the cost of project at $250,000.

Reach Preston Sparks at (706) 868-1222, Ext. 110, or prestonsparks@newstimesonline.com.