The Georgia Department of Transportation has completed five major transportation projects across Northwest Georgia and opened them to traffic, marking more than $51 million in construction work aimed at improving safety, traffic flow and long-term infrastructure conditions.

The largest of the newly opened projects is the $26.8 million Villa Rica Bypass in Carroll County, built between State Routes 101 and 61. GDOT says the bypass is designed to give truck traffic a route around downtown Villa Rica, helping reduce congestion and improving travel efficiency through the area.

Several bridge projects across the region were also finished and opened. In Gordon County, GDOT completed a $9 million replacement of two bridges on SR 136 over the Coosawattee River and a nearby tributary. In Floyd County, crews replaced the SR 293 bridge over Dykes Creek in an $8.5 million project, and also completed a $1.8 million replacement of the Rehoboth Road bridge over Spring Creek. In Dade County, GDOT wrapped up $4.9 million in rehabilitation work on multiple bridges along I-59.