New Bridge on Hwy 59 Now Open

Motorists traveling to and from Franklin and Banks Counties on GA Highway 59 now have a smoother and safer ride.

According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, the new bridge over the Hudson River is open.

Additionally, a roundabout just inside Banks County on 59 is also finished and open.

Construction on the replacement bridge began on January 7, 2022 and was scheduled to be completed by the end of this month.

The road leading up to the bridge had been closed to traffic for the past 12 months and motorists had to be detoured during construction.

Today, the new bridge stands and is 315 feet long by 40 feet wide.  The bridge consists of two 12-foot travel lanes and 8-foot shoulders with rural side ditches.

The former bridge was built in 1931 and widened in 1984.

According to Elizabeth Johnson with G-DOT, the roundabout on 59 is near Ga Highway 63 and was put in place to make travel easier near the new industrial center.

The new industrial center will house a new RAI Industrial Fabricators plant and Mar-Jac Poultry.