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I-16 in central Georgia could reopen by Friday night

7-mile section shut down Thursday after truck hit, dislodged overpass in Treutlen County

Nick Austin
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Crews remove debris after demolishing the Georgia highway 86 overpass at I-16 on July 16, 2021. (Photo: GDOT)

Good news for truckers: A section of Interstate 16 in Georgia that was shut down early Thursday could be back open soon.

Related: Accident dislodges Georgia overpass, forces I-16 closure

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) had to close a 7-mile stretch of the highway in Treutlen County after a truck hit an overpass and dislodged it several feet.

GDOT crews spent Thursday night demolishing the overpass and were still removing the debris as of late Friday afternoon. According to a video update on the GDOT Facebook page, officials hoped to reopen at least one of the two westbound lanes by 5 p.m. EDT Friday, but it could take until later Friday night. This would help restore traffic flow for trucks hauling freight from the Port of Savannah.


GDOT then hopes to have the other westbound lane, plus both eastbound lanes, open by the end of the weekend. In the meantime, click here for detour information.

Be sure to follow the FreightWaves website and social media accounts for more updates.

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.

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Nick Austin

Nick is a meteorologist with 20 years of forecasting and broadcasting experience. He was nominated for a Midsouth Emmy for his coverage during a 2008 western Tennessee tornado outbreak. He received his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Florida State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Georgia Tech. Nick is a member of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association. As a member of the weather team at WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tennessee, Nick was nominated for a Mid-South Emmy for live coverage of a major tornado outbreak in February 2008. As part of the weather team at WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nick shared the Chattanooga Times-Free Press Best of the Best award for “Best Weather Team” eight consecutive years.