Fayette to lose one of last old wooden railroad bridges

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The old bridge on Coastline Road over the CSX tracks will be replaced by by the Ga. Department of Transportation. Photo/Fayette County.
The old bridge on Coastline Road over the CSX tracks will be replaced by by the Ga. Department of Transportation. Photo/Fayette County.

One of the last wooden bridges in Fayette is soon to be a historical memory. The Ga. Department of Transportation (DOT) will replace the old railroad bridge on Coastline Road in north Fayette County. A Jan. 11 agreement by the Fayette County Commission will have the county pay for half the right-of-way acquisition costs, with DOT picking up all other costs.

County Public Works Director Phil Mallon noted that the commission in spring 2017 expressed support to participate in DOT’s Local Bridge Replacement Program (LOCBR) for the Coastline Road bridge.

The existing wood bridge is posted with weight restrictions and is owned and maintained by CSX Railroad, said Mallon.

DOT asked Fayette to Fayette County to be responsible for paying half of the right-of-way costs, estimated to be $83,500. DOT will manage and fund the preliminary engineering, reimbursable utility relocations, fund the remainder of the right-of-way costs and construction, Mallon said.

Mallon said that once completed, the bridge will be deeded to Fayette County.

Funding for the county’s share of the project will come from the 2004 Transportation SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax).