Olive Road bridge sees new look; improvements continue
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The infamous Olive Road bridge has a fresh, new look.
This comes after a large box truck rammed into it — yet again — back in February, bringing one of the steel beams down to the ground.
When it happened, city engineering told News 12 that the beam was not attached to the bridge prompting another months-long detour.
CSX said the track was pushed out of alignment and repairs started immediately.
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The foundation is stronger than before and there’s new landscaping around the bridge itself, but it’s still the same height clearance.
According to Augusta Traffic Engineering, things will work the same way as before but they’re working on making changes to prevent someone from crashing into the bridge, again.
The honk of the trains and a rumble of wheels over the track Tuesday show the bridge is just about done.
Kinyon Truesdell, who works nearby, says this is good news considering the amount of traffic that moves through this spot.
“I come from downtown so it doesn’t really affect me, or anything. But people that need to go to Wrightsboro Road may be affected from time to time cause that’s the quickest way to Wrightsboro Road,” he said.
But the big question is how to stop this from getting hit again.
Right now, the Augusta commission is in the works to introduce an $80,000 solution in this chain curtain that would be added along with all the other signs that already sit here.
John Ussery with Augusta Traffic Engineering said: “It’s a more tactile warning device. Obviously, it would hit the top of the vehicle and if you’re over height and you drove through it, so it would provide more than just a sign or the lights or the things that we already have out there.”
Ussery says the motion will come up in May or June, but says people still need to pay attention.
“Even if we do install the chain curtain, it’s never a 100% foolproof method. It’s just another warning device on top of all the other warning devices that we already have,” he said.
The bridge – sometimes humorously called a beacon of hope for its indestructibility – isn’t just well-known in Augusta.
A representative with CSX told city leaders that of the 9,000 bridges and 28 states CSX manages, the Olive Road bridge is infamous for the railroad, too.
“Of all the bridges that we have, this one and another one in Athens, Georgia, believe it or not, are two of the most destructive bridges on our network,” said Regional Vice President Craig Camuso.
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