Ribbon-cutting marks end to I-20 construction

Major construction on Interstate 20 officially ended Thursday much as it began more than two years ago -- with a lane closure.

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Rainier Ehrhardt/Staff

Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver (fourth from right) shakes hands with Georgia Department of Transportation District 10 representative Bill Kuhlke Jr., after a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday celebrating the completion of the work on I-20 and I-520.

Representatives from state and local government stood on the new flyover ramp leading to eastbound Bobby Jones Expressway and clipped a blue ribbon.

"You don't have an opportunity to do jobs of this size very often," said Sam Stutt, a project manager for the I-20 and Bobby Jones Expressway interchange. "(I'm) glad it's over and I'm looking forward to the next one."

The two projects, which include the interchange work and the widening of I-20 east of Warren Road to the Savannah River, were essentially completed Oct. 31, about nine months ahead of schedule. At the time it was put up for bid, the nearly $200 million interchange project was the state's largest.

State officials spent about $191 million to remove the outdated cloverleaf design of the old Bobby Jones Interchange. The widening project was billed at $54 million.

Drivers will still see some lane shifts in the area of Cranes Creek, between Davis and Warren roads. Work in that area was separate from the interchange and widening projects.

Reach Adam Folk at (706) 823-3339 or adam.folk@augustachronicle.com.