For the past 10 months, road construction crews have been grading the land that will be the future East Sparta Bypass, a 3.1 mile highway from SR 15/SR 22 north of High School Lane on the north end to SR 15 just north of Shoal Road on the south end. The roadway is really starting to take shape. Here, on the south end, the area has been cleared of all trees and brush.
Heading north toward SR 16, you'll find locations of the cleared land that are peppered with tiny orange cones. Blasting crews are removing granite deposits in the right-of-way and the cones mark places where holes have been drilled.
Heading north toward SR 16, you'll find locations of the cleared land that are peppered with tiny orange cones. Blasting crews are removing granite deposits in the right-of-way and the cones mark places where holes have been drilled.
On just the other side of SR 16 - the project's midpoint - a number of crews are 'cutting and filling.' This area in East Central Georgia is full of rolling hills and the contractors need to remove or add dirt and rock as needed to ensure the new roadway corridor is brought to the final grade of the roadway. Here, teams are doing the 'filling', as dump trucks drive in and out, releasing enormous loads of dirt and then heading out to get more. Bulldozers and compacting rollers are in constant motion, spreading out the material that will be packed into a firm earth foundation. As we travel northward, you can see a long stretch that has been compacted into a flat, stable surface.
So where do those dump trucks get all those tons of dirt? It comes from just up the hill! This is where the 'cutting' part of the process happens. About a half mile north of the SR 16 intersection, excavators continue digging and shaping the site. The dirt they remove goes right into the dump trucks that take it to the bulldozers and rolling compactors.
As the 'cutting and filling' goes on, other tasks are underway throughout the length of the project. A number of culverts and underground pipe are being installed to ensure that the future highway will have efficient water drainage.
Project managers say the highway's subgrade preparation, grading and leveling will continue well into 2024. For most residents of Sparta and Hancock County, the project is pretty much 'out of sight,' so it may be easy to wonder what could possibly be taking such a long time. In road construction time, however, your average highway project routinely takes several years just for design and planning; the actual project work can then take another few-to-several years. When creating new infrastructure that needs to be safe for the thousands of drivers and vehicles that will use it each day - and also be durable for decades - our engineers and contractors are partners in ensuring every step is done correctly to specifications. These first stages of earth shaping and leveling may take a while, but all the steps are absolutely essential in creating a highway that will provide a new route - as well as improved economic and civic development benefits.