SWGA road clearing continues, debris removal preparations underway
TIFTON - Clearing Southwest Georgia state roads will continue Sunday and preparations are underway for removal of Hurricane Helene debris that has been pushed to the shoulder.
As of Sunday morning, there are 58 closures on state routes in the Southwest Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) district, which borders Florida. The hurricane made landfall Thursday night in northwest Florida and wind speeds remained dangerously high as it crossed into Georgia.
The closures are largely due to power lines tangled in trees, which can't be removed until utility companies ensure it is safe. Power outages remain widespread. Georgia DOT has contracted with two companies to remove debris, which will allow state crews to continue clearing routes and to fill city and county resource requests. No pickup schedule has been announced.
The hurricane also battered traffic signals and, at some intersections, a loop of wiring is all that remains intact. Technicians are striving to replace damaged signals before power is restored. To reach that goal, they are assisted by a contractor and Georgia DOT technicians from other areas of the state. Southwest district department heads Saturday requested additional signal crews due to the extensive amount of damage.
Though the hurricane brought a lot of rain, local road or bridge flooding was minimal and only one bridge remains closed. It is off the state highway system in Reed Bingham State Park in Cook County. Bridge inspectors are expected to evaluate it early next week. For updates on the status, check(https://gastateparks.org/ReedBingham). For real-time road conditions anywhere in the state, call 511 or click on (www.511ga.org).
A few safety reminders as the post-Helene recovery marathon continues:
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Drivers failing to stop at "dark" (without power) signalized intersections continues to be an issue. Treat these intersections like a four-way stop. The same rule applies if a signal is flashing red.
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Please give Georgia DOT crews space to work safely. If possible, move over a lane. Vehicles clearing roads will make frequent stops so don't tailgate. For the safety of signal technicians working in bucket trucks, slow down as you approach and don't crowd the trucks.
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Drive alert! There are many "leaners and hangers" on road shoulders - trees that are leaning over lanes and trees that would have fallen onto the road if they weren't hanging on something. Work is underway to identify those locations on state route rights of way so they can be cleared.
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A GDOT signal technician works on wiring Saturday prior to replacing damaged signals on US 221/State Route 135/Bowens Mill Road at South Gaskin Avenue in Douglas. At one point, four technicians were in bucket trucks working at all approaches of the busy intersection.
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