VALDOSTA — The new northbound ramps on Interstate 75 Exit 22 will open next week.

Drivers are about to see a lot of activity near Exit 22 after the ramps open Tuesday, Feb. 12, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.

On Thursday, Feb. 7, and Monday, Feb. 11, there will be two overnight closures of the Exit 22 southbound ramps so contractors can level them using asphalt. The on and off ramps will close from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. each of those dates, state officials said. 

Transportation officials said law enforcement will be posted at the bottom and top of the ramps to prevent driver access.

Temporary traffic signals installed at the top of those ramps to aid in construction staging will be removed.

The contractor will begin demolishing the old ramps after traffic is switched, according to a GDOT report.

The interchanges of Exit 22 near Valdosta and Exit 29 at Hahira are being reconstructed in a $49.5 million Georgia DOT project. 

Built in 1960, the overpass couldn’t efficiently handle current and projected traffic, state transportation officials said. 

Construction started in 2017 and is scheduled to be complete next year. The contractor is Reames and Son Construction Company, Inc.

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256