Post Road Dog River Bridge Closed

Found this on the county's website.  I hope the Sentinel takes a picture of the hole.  It's not online, and I don't subscribe, so I don't know if it's going to be in Tuesday's paper or not.  Most likely in Wednesday's paper.  There might be something in the AJC about it, but I doubt it since they don't even have a section for Douglas County news on their website.

POST ROAD BRIDGE OVER THE DOG RIVER IN WESTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Closing Due to Hole in Road ~ Detour Routes Posted
Truck Traffic Diverted to Georgia Highway 5 - click here for more information
Where? Post Road bridge over the Dog River
The Post Road bridge over the Dog River in western Douglas County was closed to traffic Saturday evening, May 31st, when an alert Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy noticed that a hole had opened up in the asphalt in one of the traffic lanes of the bridge. The Douglas County Sheriff's Department and the Douglas County Department of Transportation (DCDOT) closed the bridge to traffic as a precaution since the bridge is 57 years old, and has been scheduled for replacement within the next five years.

The hole in the bridge is about 24 inches in diameter. No vehicles were damaged by going across the hole before the bridge was closed.

DCDOT and Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) bridge inspectors and engineers will evaluate the structure on Monday to determine the bridge's condition. It is too early at this time to determine whether or not the bridge will be able to repaired and the replacement schedule continue on its normal course, or if other options will need to be explored.

Post Road is a major north-south corridor in western Douglas County, and is the major connector for travelers from southern Douglas County and eastern and southern Carroll County to Interstate 20; Post Road has an interchange with Interstate 20. The communities most affected by the bridge closure are Fairplay and Hannah.

It is anticipated that the bridge closing will cause traffic problems during Monday morning's rush hour due to the suddenness of the closing.

Detours have been posted on both sides of the Dog River bridge.

• South-bound motorists may use the North Helton Road - Liberty Road detour as a temporary route around the closure.


• North-bound motorists may use the Banks Mill Road - Daniel Mill Road detour as a temporary route around the closure.


• Truck traffic, however, should use Georgia Highway 5 as their alternate route; the smaller detour roads are not constructed to handle truck traffic (residential traffic only, small widths, curves, etc.).

Lighted variable message signs diverting truck traffic to Georgia Highway 5 are posted on Post Road at Interstate 20 north of the bridge closure, and Post Road at Georgia Highway 166 south of the bridge closure. Residential traffic detours are marked closer to the closed bridge, and the bridge has been blocked off to prevent traffic.

The bridge was last inspected in 2004 and received a sufficiency rating of 52.40, which predicated the current program to replace the bridge; a bridge rating of 50 or less usually requires a bridge replacement (pending other issues). The bridge was recently re-inspected under the required biannual Federal Bridge Inspection Program, but the results have not yet been received by the DCDOT. Load limits for the bridge were posted after the 2004 inspection, as follows:

• 17 tons for H-Truck


• 16 tons for Type 3 Truck


• 19 tons for Timber Truck.

The bridge was not restricted for any other traffic, and had not previously had load limits. The bridge had not been reconstructed since its construction in 1951.

Post Road is a two-lane County road with a 45-mph speed limit on most of its length. The area is mainly residential in nature with subdivisions, estate land and farmland dominating its usage. The Post Road interchange with Interstate 20 is approximately 5 miles west of the City of Douglasville.

For more information, contact Wes Tallon at 770.920.7593 or wtallon@co.douglas.ga.us.