Important maintenance of Southwest Georgia bridges and roads continues with the award earlier this month of $8.5 million in construction contracts.

A $2 million contract was awarded to Seminole Equipment Inc. to replace joints and paint bridges at SR 37 over the Chattahoochee River in Clay County and SR 309 over US 84/US 27/SR 1 in Decatur County. Other locations are in Dougherty County: US 82/SR 520 east over Palmyra Road; US 82/SR 520 east and west over US 82 Bus/US 19 Bus/SR 520 Bus; SR 520 east and west over the Flint River; US 19/SR 520 south over East Broad Avenue and Blaylock Street over SR 520. Maintenance helps preserve and extend the life of a bridge. The completion date is July 31, 2019.

Approximately 27 miles of state route resurfacing will also be done. Those contracts are: SR 35 from the Tift County line to south of SR 32 in Irwin County, awarded to Reeves Construction Co.; SR 27 from north of SR 50 in Quitman County to the Stewart County line, awarded to Oxford Construction Co.; and SR 3 Alt from south of Pine Street to south of SR 111 in Thomas County, awarded to The Scruggs Co. The three contracts have a completion date of Aug. 31, 2019. Georgia Department of Transportation contracts are awarded to the lowest qualified bidder.