Augusta motorists will have to deal with more road construction in 2008 as plans move forward on a major downtown project and work continues on Interstate 20.

Mike Keene, an area engineer for the Georgia Department of Transportation, said the next year will be one of the biggest for major road work in Richmond County. About $500 million worth of projects soon will be operating out of the Augusta office, which also oversees Columbia, Lincoln and Wilkes counties, he said.

"As a whole, it's probably one of the largest times for major projects," Mr. Keene said.

Work will continue on the more than $191 million I-20 and Bobby Jones Expressway interchange project. Crews soon will begin work to raise the pylons that will hold fly-over ramps to replace two of the current on and off ramps.

"Everything that's happening right now will continue through 2008 and into 2009," Mr. Keene said. "People will start seeing the big bridges going up in the air, and they'll start seeing some more cutting down of Scott Nixon (Memorial Drive) and Bobby Jones."

Mr. Keene said no other ramps will be closed, but there will be some traffic shifts on Bobby Jones beginning in January. A portion of Scott Nixon, which is currently closed near its intersection with Bobby Jones and must be accessed by a detour, is expected to reopen, Mr. Keene said.

Most new construction in Richmond County will be downtown. In March, crews should begin the first phase of the $21 million project to extend St. Sebastian Way to River Watch Parkway. While the bulk of the work will not require major road closings, two of the later phases will be marked by road closures on 15th Street and Walton Way, Mr. Keene said.

"People will see us working, but they won't actually be affected in the beginning," Mr. Keene said. "The effect will come in later, when we'll have to close 15th Street and Walton Way for a short time to do some work."

While those closures could come by the end of 2008, the early stages of the project mostly will involve the construction of connector roads between Walton Way and 15th Street, as well as new on and off ramps to River Watch Parkway.

Construction is also planned for the expansion and realignment of Alexander Drive, which has become a major go-between for Washington Road and River Watch Parkway. If the city can acquire the parcels of land in time, the project could begin in July, Mr. Keene said.