According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, the second phase of the project to widen Highway 44 in Greene County has begun.
GDOT’s District 2 Communications Officer told the Lake Oconee News that Pittman Construction Company began working on Phase 2 last week.
The company is currently clearing in the areas on the west side of Highway 44 from the Richland Connector down past Harbor Club.
“This clearing will allow erosion control items to be installed and allow utilities to be relocated,” Volk said. “Expect to see clearing throughout the length of the project. It will be a very similar process to how Phase 1 started. Significant disruptions to traffic are not expected soon. We will communicate potential impacts to traffic to help make the public aware as they arise.”
According to Volk, the Phase 1 project is still in its early stages. Utility companies continue to relocate utilities, and the contractor continues to work on leveling the land. Lane closures are possible throughout the project depending on where crews need to work.
“Currently, the completion date for Phase 1 is in November 2028, and the completion date for Phase 2 is in August 2030,” Volk said. “The Phase 3 project is currently slated to go out for contractors to bid on in December of this year.”
Phase 3 – from Harmony Road to Carey Station Road – is currently in the final stages of design.
The entire project will widen SR 44 from Old Phoenix Road/Harmony Road to Athens Tech Drive just north of I-20, according to the GDOT website.
The project would be approximately 10.5 miles in length and consist of widening SR 44 from the existing two-lane road to a four-lane road with a combination of rural and urban sections. The urban sections would include 4-foot bike lanes, 5-foot sidewalks, and a 16-foot raised median.
Rural sections would include 6-foot paved shoulders and either a 32-foot depressed median or a 24-foot raised median.