Efforts to replace two bridges on Forrest Street in Athens will finish on time despite winter temperatures and recent heavy rain, said Public Works Director James Rich.

Rich said the project should be complete by late March or early April, which puts the finish in line with initial estimates.

“They have started placing asphalt to resurface the road from close to the roundabout all the way to west of U.S. 31,” Rich said. “The project is moving at a good pace.”

The $4-million project includes replacing the two bridges over Swan Creek east of U.S. 31, resurfacing Forrest Street from U.S. 31 to Lindsay Lane, and expanding sidewalks to connect to the Swan Creek Greenway, a National Recreation Trail that runs under Forrest Street.

The bridges have exceeded their life expectancy, and the new ones will meet safety standards and address structural deficiencies. The resurfacing will replace inadequate pavement and widen shoulders for safety.

When complete, the bridges will be nearly twice as wide and nearly twice as long, with safety barriers and a pedestrian lane so residents can access the greenway.

Forrest Street east of U.S. 31 was closed to traffic March 4, 2019. The closure has put additional strain on U.S. 72 and Alabama 251 because residents were forced to use those as detours.

“The project will open up one of the east-west corridors and help alleviate the school traffic on Alabama 251 and, hopefully, some on U.S. 72,” Rich said. “It will really open access for walkers. They’ve never been connected to the greenway before.”

Last of ATRIP

Identified in 2013, the Forrest Street bridge project, which covers 1.26 miles, is the last project funded under the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program, or ATRIP.

The city’s contract with the Alabama Department of Transportation is for a $4,014,444 project, with ATRIP providing $2,558,081 of the cost.