Bridge pummeled by dump truck demolished; GDOT releases time line for reopening I-16

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has released plans for dealing with the aftermath of a major dump truck vs. bridge strike that occurred on Thursday.

The bridge strike occurred Thursday morning on I-16 in Treutlen County between Macon and Savannah “due to a large dump trailer hitting the SR 86 bridge and shifting it nearly six feet,” according to the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT).

GDOT says that the bridge was demolished overnight on Thursday. The agency says that they are ahead of schedule in terms of reopening I-16 to traffic.

“We are very grateful that there were no injuries or fatalities as a result of this incident,” said Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry. “I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Georgia State Patrol, local law enforcement and our local GDOT District 2 staff who mobilized quickly this morning to ensure traffic was safely diverted from I-16. Also, to the residents and local communities in the vicinity of this closure, we appreciate your patience while traffic is being diverted from I-16. We are encouraging motorists to use wayfinding apps to find alternative routes around the closures, and hope to have travel lanes reopened soon.” 

For now, both directions of I-16 remain closed from Exit 71 to Exit 78 between Dublin and Pooler as crews work to remove and replace the damaged bridge.

Georgia DOT says that they hope to reopen one westbound lane of I-16 on Friday, July 16 and one lane of eastbound I-16 on Saturday or Sunday. Officials are hoping for a full reopening of all lanes by the end of next week, weather permitting.

The following signed detours are in place, but GDOT encourages drivers to seek out other routes due to the anticipated volume of traffic on the detour routes.

Westbound detour: 
Take Exit 78- Turn Right onto Highway 221 North, Left onto US 80 West, go through town of Adrian, Left onto State Route 15, Re-Enter I-16 at Exit 71.

Eastbound detour:
Take Exit 71 – Turn Right onto Highway 15, through Soperton, Left onto State Route 46, Left onto State Route 56, Re-Enter I-16 at Exit 78.

For the latest travel information from Georgia DOT, visit 511ga.org.