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Residents urge county to press DOT for temporary runaround as planned Hog Creek bridge replacement would force 27-mile detour
Summary
A letter read at the Ware County work session said Georgia DOT’s approved detour for the Hog Creek bridge replacement would add a 27-mile one-way detour, lengthening school-bus trips and emergency response times; commissioners agreed to request DOT minutes, contact the DOT engineer and Representative Brissett and pursue alternatives including a temporary bridge.
Residents of the Bigley (Bickley) community told the Ware County Commission on Sept. 8 that Georgia DOT’s planned detour for the Hog Creek bridge replacement would impose a 27-mile one-way detour and major travel delays.
A letter read aloud and signed by Judy Lienfeld said the DOT-approved detour route for North Ware County would add about 40 minutes for daily school-bus crossings and an additional 1.5 hours for emergency vehicles and other trips. The letter said state plans recorded approvals in 2022 but that local residents discovered there is no feasible short detour in the immediate area and urged county officials to request a runaround or temporary bridge.
"Hog Creek Bridge literally divides our community in half," the letter said, and the author asked the commission to "make the calls and submit paperwork now to do what we can to correct this oversight." Residents offered local help, including an offer of extra land from a landowner willing to host a temporary bypass.
Commissioners said they were not previously aware of the 27-mile detour described in the letter and directed county staff to locate DOT minutes or records from 2022, contact the DOT area engineer and Representative Brissett, and consider submitting a formal request asking DOT for an alternative or a temporary crossing. Commissioners also asked staff to coordinate with the school board and emergency services to document impacts on bus routes and response times.
No final agreement from DOT was recorded in the work session transcript; the commission committed to follow up with state officials and to explore temporary solutions for maintaining local access during the bridge replacement.
