Phase II of the $45.8 million "Spiderweb" project debuted in April 2025 when crews from C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. began constructing a new five-lane, approximately 216-ft.-long bridge over Norfolk Southern Railway tracks on Buena Vista Road in South Columbus.
Columbus Consolidated Government photo
The project also involves replacing the existing bridge over Bull Creek with a new eight-lane, approximately 321-ft.-long bridge. Additionally, the project includes the construction of two new roundabouts at nearby intersections.
The project is expected to be completed in 2027, following a 24-month closure of the intersection connecting Buena Vista to local roads, which began on April 7, 2025.
The $5.3 million Phase I, which began in August 2020, was awarded to Robinson Paving Co. That project was completed in August 2023.
"[That] included the roundabout at Annette [Avenue] and Martin Luther King [Boulevard], the new signal at Annette and the majority of the utility relocations," said Vance Beck, the Columbus Consolidated Government's director of engineering.
Both phases of the project, which were funded by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST), are being managed by the city of Columbus. Columbus residents passed the TSPLOST in 2012.
The closure of the intersection, referred to locally as the "spiderweb," is expected to save $5 million by shortening the construction time by a year.
"There's always utility problems that arise or weather," said Beck, "but [the closure] is slated to be a two-year project."
Columbus Consolidated Government photo
One initiative goal is to reduce congestion in a half-mile area near a railroad crossing that has caused delays due to passing trains and motorists' deviations to use alternative routes.
Beck agreed with local complaints, noting that trains entering the Columbus railyards often cause significant traffic delays for motorists traveling to midtown and downtown Columbus.
The project has eliminated the Norfolk Southern Railroad at-grade crossing on Buena Vista Road near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Additionally, it replaced a second bridge over Bull Creek near St. Marys Road and Buena Vista Road due to safety concerns. Nearby roads, including Ilges Road, Morris Road and MLK Jr. Blvd., also received substantial upgrades.
Phase I, particularly its utility relocations, was needed to prepare for the bridge construction. Crews also demolished a school, a warehouse, a Circle K and a parts store.
CHA Solutions designed both Phases I and II.
"CHA coordinated with Norfolk Southern Railroad to minimize disruptions to rail operations," according to the CHA Solutions web page. "We conducted an in-depth traffic study, which resulted in the incorporation of three signal designs, three roundabouts and a connector road. The project's staging complexity necessitated the installation of four temporary signals. We also completed subsurface utility engineering [SUE] inspections in the utility-heavy corridor. The project also required two sizable retaining walls.
Columbus Consolidated Government photo
"This relocation enhances corridor safety and alleviates congestion associated with the train crossings," it added. "The addition of murals celebrating Columbus' heritage beautify the corridor, while multiuse trail connectivity fosters links between the Dragonfly trail network, schools, parks, churches and residences."
The plan proved to be complicated.
"We had to go back and revise the construction plans and remove some redundant items that had already been completed," Beck said. "We got that done. Of course, we wanted GDOT to vet those plans, and we got all of that."
C.W. Matthews is working in a large, unfettered construction site, which provides equipment operators with plenty of room to maneuver and for construction materials to be stored on site, Beck said. Early on, operations weren't disrupted by the rail traffic as crews were able to work on both sides of the new bridge.
Brennan J. Hoy, a project engineer of the Columbus Consolidated Government, said that the new bridge foundations are based on pre-stressed concrete piles.
"Wick drains were utilized to help accelerate construction," he said. "The clearance height for the new bridge over the Norfolk Southern rail will be approximately 22 feet. Bridge abutments are being constructed using mechanically stabilized earth [MSE] walls. Heavy equipment, such as cranes, have been crucial in order to demolish the existing Bull Creek bridge and install the new deep foundations for the bridges."
Excavation operations were critical in preparing the construction site for the approaches, the siting of the columns on both sides that will play a key role in holding up the deck and in erecting a concrete panel sound wall, Hoy said.
The excavation operations, handled by excavators and loaders, created level spaces for the drill rigs to operate. Once complete, the drill rigs prepared the spots for the long, prefabricated concrete columns that were placed with the help of the crawler cranes.
With the columns installed, crews placed the concrete sound wall panels, although there is plenty of work remaining to complete the bridge, Hoy said.
Crews are using a wide variety of equipment on the project — multiple large cranes, including a Link-Belt 218 crawler crane, dozers, excavators, loaders, drill rigs, motor graders and other large pieces. CEG
