Appling Harlem Hwy construction will mean big traffic delays on I-20

Some Augusta-area drivers will navigate traffic detours near the Appling interchange of I-20 and U.S. 221, also known as the Appling Harlem Highway.

Georgia Department of Transportation reported via news release Wednesday that, starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, the eastbound and westbound onramps at Exit 183 from U.S. 221 onto I-20 will be closed.

Drivers wanting to get onto I-20 westbound will be detoured to Wrightsboro Road where they will keep driving west until they merge onto White Oak Road, and eventually get off on Thomson Bypass in order to get to the interstate.

Those wanting to get on I-20 eastbound will need to continue traveling southbound on 221 until they get to the Pumpkin Center in Harlem, where they will use the roundabout to get into the northbound lane and then access the on-ramp.

These disruptions will allow the DOT to make much needed changes at the interchange. Tuesday will mark the opening of the new U.S. 221 bridge, and drivers will be directed away from the old bridge entrance and along the new configuration. The ramps are being closed so crews can raise the grade between the westbound on-ramp to I-20 and the old roadway.

The ramps are expected to remain closed until Wednesday, Sept. 28, weather permitting.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Construction at I-20, US 221: Traffic detours starting Sept. 20