Gov. Deal, Leesburg officials break ground on new bypass

LEESBURG — Citing the project as an example of cooperation between the state and the local community, Gov. Nathan Deal officially broke ground Thursday on the new North Leesburg Bypass. The $8 million, 1.78-mile bypass is designed to relieve school day congestion in the city by routing traffic from U.S. 19 around the city of Leesburg north to SR 195.

“As our county has grown so have our schools,” Lee County School Board Chairperson Sylvia Vann said. “Unless you have children in the school system you might not know that on school days, the population of Leesburg triples. This bypass will not only help with school day safety, all parts of our community will also benefit from this project.”

Deal said the project is more than a bypass because it is an example of the kind of cooperation between the state and and counties.

“This project is less than two miles long, but it’s an important two miles because it concerns the safety of our students and bus drivers,” the governor said. “It is also a symbol of cooperation among many different state agencies and at the local level. The result is good things are happening for the people of Georgia. People expect projects and they expect results.”

Oxford Construction Co. of Albany has been awarded the $8.2 million contract to construct the bypass, a project that should make trips to Lee County’s schools quicker and safer for many parents and students.

The company has two years to complete the roadway, which will start just north of Leesburg schools on State Route 195, connect to Old Smithville Road and then continue westward with a bridge over the railroad tracks and U.S. Highway 19 before looping back to U.S. 19.

The project should be complete by the end of 2015 and is being paid for through a combination of federal and state monies.

Leesburg Mayor Jim Quinn said he had doubts about the project starting “until I saw the silt fences beginning to go up. I said ‘“Oh, my gosh, it’s really happening.”’