441
59
75
GEORGIA STATE EDITION
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A Supplement to:
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20
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85
20
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129
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75
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301
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16
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341 441 16
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June 15 2011
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341
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75
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84
Douglas Tifton
82
95
82
Blakely
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301
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82
Vol. XXIII • No. 12
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27
27 84
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19 319
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84
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Waycross Brunswick 82
1 441
Your Georgia Connection: Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
C.W. Matthews Takes Aim at Improving Deadly Ga. Road By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
As temperatures continue to climb, crews in Cherokee County, Ga., are tackling a 4.3mi. (6.9-km) project involving construction of truck passing lanes on SR 20, beginning west of Union Hill Road and extending to east of Greenwood Court in Cherokee County. Work on this project just recently began and is scheduled to be completed by the end of July 2013, at a construction cost of $7.6 million, according to officials with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). Jay Mayo, vice president of roadway division for general contractor C.W. Matthews Construction Company of Marietta, Ga., said the work is desperately needed. “This is probably one of the deadliest roads in the state as far as accidents. It’s very dangerous, and this will be a huge improvement,” Mayo said. According to GDOT statistics, the accident, injury and fatality rates along portions of SR20 have exceeded the statewide average in recent years. It’s expected improvements in Cherokee County and other sections of the route will reduce future wrecks. “We’re basically widening the road to create passing lanes,” Mayo explained. “It’s a heavily traveled route with very few places
“This is probably one of the deadliest roads in the state as far as accidents. It’s very dangerous, and this will be a huge improvement.” Jay Mayo C.W. Matthews Construction Company
Photo courtesy of C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. Inc.
According to GDOT statistics, the accident, injury and fatality rates along portions of SR20 have exceeded the statewide average in recent years. It’s expected improvements in Cherokee County and other sections of the route will reduce future wrecks.
for people to pass. In most places we’re adding a lane on one side of the road or the other to allow traffic to go around. Luckily, there are no real issues to address so far. Right now we’re getting some utilities relocated. Georgia Power, AT & T, Cherokee County water and gas lines, etc. We’ve got a six-man crew out there at this time. Working alongside live traffic is one of our biggest concerns, as is dealing with traffic control matters and keeping utilities out of the way. “We thrive in the peak of summer heat,” Mayo added. “It’s during these months we can do our most productive work when it’s dry and we can get our longest hours in. We are hoping for pretty good weather after hav-
ing to put up with lots of rain the last couple of years. “It’s probably just putting a bandaid on things, but this will help for now. So many trucks and other vehicles drive this route each day. The volume of traffic is quite heavy.” SR 20 serves as a primary east-west roadway for the northern Atlanta region and North Georgia connecting Floyd, Bartow, Cherokee, Gwinnett, Walton, Rockdale, Newton and Henry counties. The SR 20 corridor in the outer counties has seen high residential and commercial growth for the metro Atlanta region that is expected to continue. The route, extending from the
Alabama State Line, connects with Rome, Canton, Cumming, Sugar Hill, Buford, Lawrenceville, Loganville, Conyers, McDonough and Hampton. SR 20 extends from west of I-75 eastward through I-575, SR 400, I-985, I-85, SR316, US 78, I-20 and US 41. “Erosion control also is crucial, because as a regulatory issue we have to ensure we don’t have any problems with regard to environmental issues. It’s pretty significant in terms of time and money,” Mayo said. Matt Soignet, C.W. Matthews division vice-president of asphalt construction, said that much of the work on this particular projsee IMPROVEMENTS page 2