Motorists traveling along State Route 205 in Etowah County should prepare for a year-long road closure as the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) begins work to replace a 102-year-old bridge over the Alabama & Tennessee River Railway.
The closure began Monday, Aug. 3 and is expected to last until fall 2027 while crews complete the nearly $4.9 million bridge replacement and roadway realignment project.
The construction zone will extend from north of Old Guntersville Gadsden Road to just south of Waterline Road, near Sardis City. During the project, Old Guntersville Gadsden Road and Waterline Road will also be closed where they intersect with SR-205.
The project, awarded to Rogers Group, includes replacing the aging bridge, which was originally built in 1924. The existing structure measures 92 feet long and 19 feet wide. It will be replaced with a modern bridge measuring approximately 120 feet long and 40 feet wide, providing two 12-foot travel lanes and 8-foot shoulders to improve safety and accommodate traffic more effectively. Bridge subcontractor Miller & Miller will construct the new bridge.
In addition to the bridge replacement, crews will realign portions of SR-205 and Old Guntersville Gadsden Road to improve roadway geometry and traffic flow.
ALDOT has established an official detour for the duration of the project. Commercial vehicles are required to follow the designated route using State Route 168 through Boaz to U.S. Highway 431 and back to SR-205. Detour signs will be posted to guide motorists through the area.
The bridge replacement is part of ALDOT Project No. BR-0205(507), which carries a construction cost of $4,881,200. Officials say the investment will provide a safer, wider crossing and improve travel along the corridor for decades to come.
To our newsletter
