Brewton Bridge in Evans County to be demolished

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Drivers who travel on one busy state highway in Evans County will be detoured starting Monday.

Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) will demolish a bridge and replace it.

If the Brewton Bridge over the Canoochee River in Evans County was an employee, you could consider this a “retirement”. The bridge on Highway 169 turned 65 years old this year.

GDOT has been working with a contractor and the county for more than a year to get ready to demolish this one and build a new bridge.

The state says the new one will be up to modern specs and be able to handle the volume and weight of traffic it sees every day. But they expect it to take nine months to replace it. That means a small detour on the west side, but a long detour on the east.

“If you’re going into town, you’d have to go up to Hendrix Bridge Road. If you live right here, it’s about a mile and a half up to Hendrix Bridge,” Evans County EMA Director Justin Denton said.

He says the same will be true for ambulances or fire trucks coming from Claxton.

“Your emergency response could be slower, could be slower depending on where it’s coming from,” Denton said.

The project is expected to cost a little over $5 million. One bright spot for some is the boat landing beside it is supposed to stay open.

He says they know it will take some time to do this and he hopes for everyone’s understanding and patience.

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