Highway 133 widening projects total 17.3 miles through Colquitt, Dougherty, Worth counties

MOULTRIE — It’s been a long time coming, but with the largest single section of the Georgia Highway 133 widening project under way in Colquitt County and another under construction in Dougherty and Worth counties, a four-lane drive from Albany to Valdosta is getting closer to reality.

Work on the 13.87-mile stretch has been ongoing for several months, and the estimated $73 million construction project is set for completion in January 2023. That work will complete the widening from the intersection of U.S. Highway 319 just outside of Moultrie to Mike Horne Road in Colquitt County.

Work started a short time later on the 3.47-mile section that starts at Georgia Highway 112 in Worth County and extends to County Line Road in Dougherty County. The estimated construction cost is $28.7 million for the project with a completion date of April 2024.

The Valdosta-to-Moultrie part of the project was completed several years ago.

Once completed from Moultrie to Albany, the roadway will be a major boost to transportation in the region and Albany area, Jana Dyke, president and CEO of the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission, said.

“From an industry and business standpoint, it gives us another route for big trucks,” she said. “It continues the growth for the region.”

Some of the major beneficiaries will be those located on or near Moultrie Road, including Procter & Gamble, Southern AG Carriers and Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany, Dyke said. She also noted that a truck stop and truck tire center have gone up near the intersection of Highway 133 and Mock Road, providing infrastructure and convenience for truckers.

Economic development officials also plan to keep transportation on the front burner and advocate for resources.

“I think the more we can do to be proactive rather than reactive, the better,” Dyke said. “That’s one of the things we’re focusing on. That’s one thing we’re focusing on in 2022 and the next three years (is) what kind of infrastructure we need, and transportation is one of those needs.”

The improved highway also will move some truck traffic from traveling through the city, which will help reduce congestion and save wear and tear on Albany’s streets, she said.

“It really assists in making this a corridor for truck traffic,” Dyke said. “I think it’s going to lessen the traffic in other areas. I really think it will be an alternative route that will reduce the truck traffic in our downtown.”

In recent years, the state Department of Transportation and state leaders have been generous in funding projects like Highway 133, state Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, who represents a portion of Dougherty County, said. That investment, he noted, is appreciated and is making a difference.

“Any project we can get gets us closer to the reality,” he said. “I’m so glad we’re focused right now. We need this infrastructure to move forward. Without this targeted action we’ve envisioned, we can’t get to where we want to go.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]