Your headaches at the 85-385 interstate interchange are going to last longer and cost more
The project could take until 2020 to complete and will cost more but ultimately save millions, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Your headaches at the 85-385 interstate interchange are going to last longer and cost more The project could take until 2020 to complete and will cost more but ultimately save millions, according to the state Department of Transportation. Check out this story on greenvilleonline.com: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2018/08/20/interstate-85-385-gateway-project-interchange-cost-more-take-longer-than-planned-scdot/1017721002/
Tim Smith, The Greenville News Published 7:00 a.m. ET Aug. 20, 2018
Project offers updates on the construction of the I-85 and 385 bridge and road project. SCDOT, The Greenville News
Construction continues on the InterstateÊ85-385 interchange on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. (Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)Buy Photo
Work at the Interstate 85-385 interchange is going to last at least eight months longer and cost $9 million more than expected, according to the state Department of Transportation.
But those additions will end up saving the state money, Joel Smith, an associate engineer with the DOT, told The Greenville News.
Smith said the extra money will pay for additional work on I-85 as well as replacing the bridges over nearby Garlington Road.
"The increases to the contract amount and schedule now will likely save the state millions of dollars in the long run as well as future headaches to the traveling public," he said.
That's because the Garlington Road bridges and the I-85 rehabilitation, not included in the original contract, would've cost more and created additional traffic issues if they weren't included as part of this 85-385 Gateway Project, Smith said.
Among unanticipated issues the project has faced has been rock within the wall and bridge foundation footprints.
"There has also be an unseasonably large amount of rain and severe thunderstorms this spring and summer, creating challenges for construction," Smith said.
More: New connector at I-385/85 scheduled to open Thursday
Workers have been toiling at the site night and day in an effort to keep the project on schedule, he said.
"Most of the night work being completed is paving and bridge erection, on and over the interstates," he said. "In order to be safely performed, this type of work requires lane closures and detours at night due to the high volumes of traffic during the daytime on the interstates. Night work will continue through the remainder of the project."
The 85-385 Gateway Project was already the second-most expensive transportation project in South Carolina's history. The now-$240 million project is about two-thirds complete, Smith said, with a scheduled end date that could come as late as the beginning of 2020.
More: I-85/I-385 interchange project remains on schedule
More: Construction worker taken to hospital after fall at I-85/385 Gateway project
Among work left to do is asphalt and concrete paving along the interstates, Woodruff Road widening, work on the Roper Mountain Road bridge, interstate bridges over Garlington Road, and six bridges within the interchange.
"While this may seem like a lot for a project that's over two-thirds complete, the vast majority of this work has been occurring concurrently and will be quickly finishing up over the next year," Smith said.
The project to redesign the interchange includes widening parts of I-85, improvements to Roper Mountain Road, Woodruff Road, Garlington Road, Miller Road and Chrome Drive as well as construction of 10 new bridge structures which include two flyovers, rehabilitation of two existing bridge structures and modifications to the substructure of one existing bridge.
Four of the 12 bridges that are part of the project are now open and in use, Smith said.
Chrome/Gateway Road will be completed and reopened within a week, he said, and the contractor, Flatiron-Zachary, will be complete with pavement rehabilitation along I-85 at the far ends of the project within the next several months.
"As stated previously, that vast majority of the work has been occurring concurrently and will all begin to finish up over the next year," he said. "This is when drivers will begin to see the significant benefits from the project."
Growing Greenville
This is part of an ongoing series about the Upstate's rapid growth and the challenges and benefits it brings. Greenville, frequently named one of the best places to live in the country, is among the fastest growing cities in the country, and that growth is fueling rapid change throughout the Upstate. Our coverage will look at how those changes affect your life, livelihood and quality of living in the metropolitan area that is anchored by Greenville.
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