The Summerville News reported last week that the bridge on Georgia Highway 48 that spans the East Fork of the Little River at Cloudland may reopen sooner than the original plan called for.

The paper quoted Grant Waldrop, Georgia DOT District Engineer, who said that the company building the bridge has made great progress and it is possible that the bridge will reopen sooner than expected. The contract allowed for the completion of the new bridge by the spring of 2023.

The original bridge that has now been destroyed to make way for the new bridge was originally built in 1937.

Motorist that frequently use Highway 48 have been using a temporary bridge that was constructed adjacent to the new structure.