According to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the second phase of the Highway 44 widening project in Greene County is now underway.
GDOT District 2 Communications Officer Will Volk told The Eatonton Messenger that Pittman Construction Company began work on Phase 2 last week.
The contractor is currently clearing land along the west side of Highway 44 from the Richland Connector to just 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.”
Volk said Phase 1 remains in its early stages, with utility companies continuing to relocate infrastructure while the contractor works to level the land. Lane closures are possible throughout the project, depending on where crews are working.
“Currently, the completion date for Phase 1 is November 2028, and the completion date for Phase 2 is 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, which stretches from Harmony Road to Carey Station Road, is in the final stages of design.
According to the GDOT website, the overall project will widen State Route 44 from Old Phoenix Road/Harmony Road to Athens Tech Drive, just north of Interstate 20.
The approximately 10.5-mile project will expand SR 44 from a two-lane highway to a four-lane roadway featuring a combination of rural and urban sections. Urban portions will include 4-foot bike lanes, 5-foot sidewalks, and a 16-foot raised median. Rural sections will feature 6-foot paved shoulders and either a 32-foot depressed median or a 24-foot raised median.