Some north Forsyth County residents might have noticed construction on the bridge at Browns Bridge Road (Hwy. 369) and Ga. 400 has halted.

According to a statement from the county government sent to Forsyth County News on Friday, Dec. 9, “work on the bridge has been temporarily paused to assess the best plan of action following a routine inspection.”

An inspection indicated that, while the bridge and substructure were constructed as planned, the structural design provided to contractor Vertical Earth did not meet current Georgia Department of Transportation standards.  

“As the bridge stands, it is structurally sound and there are no current safety concerns based on today’s traffic patterns,” the statement read.

Forsyth County will be working with the Georgia Department of Transportation, design engineers, independent consultants and the contractor to determine “a solution to provide the traveling public with the least impact that meets the project’s design criteria.”

“The evaluation and possible need to correct this portion of the substructure is to ensure the most optimal longevity of the newly constructed bridge for many years to come with minimal repairs needed in the future,” another statement sent from the county on Tuesday, Dec. 14 read.

While work on the bridge is temporarily halted until further notice, work on widening SR 369 between Dahlonega Highway (Hwy. 9) and Keith Bridge Road (Hwy. 306) “is making tremendous progress toward the scheduled completion.”

Officials with Vertical Earth told Forsyth County News that it will continue as soon as engineers finalize their plans for enhancements.

Additional project updates on the overpass will be released in the coming weeks.