Schools are closed. Government buildings are shuttered. Even parts of public parks are off limits.
But some routine government functions continue amid the coronavirus outbreak. A case in point: road construction.
The Georgia Department of Transportation continues work on various road resurfacings, bridge projects and – in metro Atlanta – the reconstruction of the I-285/Ga. 400 interchange.
"Maintaining the state’s critical transportation infrastructure is an essential service that continues at this time,” said GDOT spokeswoman Natalie Dale. “However, we continue to monitor this situation daily.”
Dale said construction crews are following guidelines and best practices outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Public Health. That includes “appropriate social distancing and hygiene requirements, such as increased hand washing.”
Meanwhile, traffic continues to be unusually light amid the pandemic. Dale said statewide interstate highway traffic volumes were down 22% for cars Wednesday, though freight traffic was up 5%.
“Overall takeaway is that we're doing what we need to be doing,” she said. “People are staying home, and freight is moving.”
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