Construction at West Point continues, development on Hyw 18 ongoing

By: Charlotte Reames

Driving into West Point from the I-85 exit 2 ramp, you can’t miss the prolonged construction work that’s been going on for the last four years. Though the Georgia Department of Transportation (GA-DOT) project has passed all of its deadlines due to weather conditions, West Point Mayor Steve Tramell is hopeful that the road will be passable by fall.

In February, GDOT shifted traffic from one side of the road to the other, finally marking the completion of the first bridge west of the overpass.

Traffic from GA-18 at Long Cane Creek shifted at the southbound I-85 on and off ramps to State Route 103. This was to accommodate the construction of the north and southbound on and off ramps.

A roundabout is also being constructed at SR-103.

In addition to the exit ramp construction, the busy road has seen construction at the 144-unit apartment complex off Long Cane Creek. Construction for that project has been nearly completed.

The Love’s Truck Stop construction project on the east side of the I-85 overpass was completed last year and opened for business in November. The complex is the largest Love’s station in the US, complete with a Hardee’s, a Godfather’s Pizza and a Love’s Truck Stop station.

Still, more development is on the way for the busy traffic area. After the March 2023 storms, the former Coca-Cola plant has been dormant since the roof was damaged and operations moved to Columbus.

The building was sold to the city of West Point. According to Tramell, the city has received multiple proposals for the building that the West Point Development Authority is currently reviewing.

Tramell said he hopes that the city will have approved one of the proposals for the building development by this fall as well.

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