Construction begins on Doug Barnard Parkway in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Starting Tuesday, one of the two ways to reach the Augusta Regional Airport is shutting down.

The south end of Doug Barnard Parkway will be down for nearly a month.

There will be detours set up on Tobacco Road.

So, how will this impact travelers for most of this month?

Augusta drivers will be hitting a major roadblock on Doug Barnard.

The popular road not only connects the south side to downtown, but it gives drivers two ways to access the airport.

Starting Tuesday morning, the directions on the runway are pretty cut and dry. But thanks to construction, the road to get there won’t be.

City leaders say the time to plan your new route starts now.

If you’re one of the hundreds of people who travel the south end of Doug Barnard Parkway on a daily basis, what will your drive look like from now until September 22?

Signs are posted and orange barrels are out, signaling to you road work improvements are on their way.

They’ll start just before you reach the north entrance of the airport, meaning the five-minute drive you may be used to taking from I-520 to get to the airport entrance won’t be an option.

The only way you’ll be able to get into the parking lot is from Tobacco Road.

Depending on traffic, the drive will tack on a few extra minutes before you reach the red light.

Leaders say the main access from I-520 and Tobacco Road will remain unaffected but the most important thing to note is that starting Tuesday, you can’t get down the south end of Doug Barnard to the north entrance of the airport.

Georgia Department of Transportation’s lane closures and road work are also set to start back up Tuesday after suspending it for Labor Day weekend.

Across the river…

The South Carolina Department of Transportation is looking to widen Belvedere Clearwater Road from Old Sudlow Road to Jefferson Davis Highway.

This could add two more lanes as well as bicycle lanes and a sidewalk.

The plan is for this work to start next year, and it could take up to 36 months.

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