COVINGTON, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) will soon be closing a portion of State Route 81—where it is locally known as Emory Street—for a five-month bridge replacement project.

According to communications from GDOT, a portion of Emory Street will be closed to traffic as the bridge over Dried Indian Creek is demolished and reconstructed. The street will be closing on March 2 and is expected to remain closed through July 30.

Emory Street will be inaccessible (excluding residents and businesses) from approximately its intersection with Highway 278—just past the entrance to Newton Federal—to its intersection with Stone Mountain Street NW for the duration of the closure. 

Covington City Manager Tres Thomas spoke on the item during the city’s Feb. 16 council meeting.

“That’s a GDOT project,” Thomas said. “I think they had some issues they found—ended up having some sewer issues.”

GDOT has offered a wide State Route 81 detour route: State Route 81 North to Highway 278, Highway 278 West to I-20, I-20 West to Exit 84/State Route 162, State Route 162 South to State Route 81.

A second, smaller detour map, courtesy of the City of Covington, asks drivers to route around the project using West Street on the western side or Pace Street to the east.