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ALBANY, GA --
The Georgia Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that it will be replacing the "Warrior Creek" bridge in Colquitt County due to age and structural damage.

"The current state of route 256, Warrior Creek Bridge, in Colquitt County we're talking about was built 56-years-ago. And the wear and tear on the bridge has made it so it meets the requirements to be replaced," said Georgia D.O.T representative, Craig Solomon.

Randy Willis, a representative from the company that will be building the new bridge, says there are multiple reasons this particular bridge needs to be replaced.

"I mean it's got bad substructure under it, narrow, just like there's hundreds and hundreds of them all over this countryside," said Willis.

Solomon says though, the main reason for the improvements is to make the road a safer place for drivers by providing a wider bridge.

"Well the existing bridge is 28 feet wide, the newly constructed bridge will be widened to 38-foot, consisting of two, 12-foot travel lanes, and two seven foot shoulder lanes," said Solomon.

Both Willis and Solomon are optimistic that this project can be finished sometime in the next year, and will be using an on-sight detour so drivers can still use the road.