GDOT Crews Assessing Damage Caused by Helene in NWGA
CARTERSVILLE, GA - As Helene continues its exit from Georgia and winds begin to die down, Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) crews in Northwest Georgia are out assessing the damage and impacts to the state's transportation infrastructure caused by flooding, downed trees, and downed power lines.
Crews in District Six, which covers 17 counties in Northwest Georgia, were out during the night patrolling state routes and handling issues as they were reported. Today about 200 District Six crew members are assisting with cleanup efforts, checking storm drains, and dealing with any other problems. In the coming days District Six will send additional teams to help in other areas of the state that were hit harder than Northwest Georgia.
The current state of emergency remains in place in Georgia until October 2, 2024. Georgia DOT asks for the public's patience as we work in partnership with federal, state and local officials to assess the damage and begin cleanup efforts statewide. Flooding, debris, downed trees and downed power lines remain an issue statewide. The traveling public's safety is a top priority as the department moves into damage assessment and clean up mode and advises motorists to avoid non-essential travel, particularly now when roads may be impacted and could be impassable.
If motorists must travel and encounter a Georgia DOT vehicle, emergency response crew or law enforcement out on the roadways, they are reminded to move over a lane and give crews the space to accomplish their critically important tasks safely. Priority for Georgia DOT cleanup efforts will be placed on interstates, then state routes with highest priority given to routes to hospitals and other essential public services by Georgia DOT crews. Consult 511GA for up-to-date road closures.
With widespread power outages, if a signalized intersection has no power motorists are reminded to treat that intersection as a four-way stop. When a road closure is in place, the public is also reminded that there is a potentially life-threatening reason for the closure which might include high water or downed power lines, and for their safety motorists should not drive around barricades or cones.
The I-75 South Express Lanes south of metro Atlanta have resumed normal operations. Express Lanes can be accessed by motorists using a Georgia Peach Pass, Florida Sun Pass or E-Z Pass. For more information, go to 511GA.
Additional tips:
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Call 511 to report flash flooding, downed trees or other obstructions that impede travel on roadways or bridges
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Do not drive around barricades that are in place for motorist safety or through standing water
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Residents should never clear tree limbs, downed trees or debris from roadways, live power lines could be tangled in debris and can cause injury or death; instead, wait for Georgia DOT and Georgia Power crews
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Motorists who must drive should always treat flashing red and non-operational signals as a four-way stop
For more hurricane safety tips, please visit Georgia DOT's hurricane webpage.
For real-time road conditions, call 511 or click on (www.511ga.org). For weather information, visit the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia (https://www.weather.gov/ffc/).
Advisory:Motorists are advised to expect delays, exercise caution, and reduce their speed while traveling through work zones. Before heading out, get real-time information on work status and traffic conditions. Call 511, visit 511ga.org, or download the Georgia 511 app. Our maintenance team members who repair roads and bridges and our project teams who oversee construction projects are continuing their essential work, while following sanitary work practices prescribed by health agencies to protect themselves and the public from the coronavirus, as are most state DOTs in the U.S.
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