The City of Douglas has been alerted by Georgia DOT that a portion of South Gaskin Avenue is scheduled to close to through traffic Aug. 27 for removal of an old culvert, part of the widening of the Douglas perimeter road (U.S. 221/SR 135).
Drivers will not be able to access Gaskin Avenue from the perimeter road/Bowens Mill Road. Traffic will detour to Old Axson Road and then to Pine Street. Local traffic can access Gaskin from Pine Street, but no through traffic will be allowed. The detour is permitted for 30 calendar days.
A contractor installed a new culvert in June 2017. Removal of the old culvert was delayed to minimize the amount of time a detour would be required. The culvert accommodates the stream that runs under Gaskin Avenue and the widening of perimeter road. The $32.7 million Georgia Department of Transportation project to widen and reconstruct SR 135 is about 62 percent complete.
The project begins at U.S. 441, where it ties into the southwest portion of the perimeter road, and ends at SR 32. It includes construction of a bridge to replace the at-grade railroad crossing near Iron Road to enhance safety and alleviate traffic back-ups. Two lanes of the bridge are open to traffic. Dirt is being hauled in to build up the other side of the overpass. The entire project is due to be finished in May 2020 and the prime contractor is East Coast Asphalt LLC