Interstate 520 - Bobby Jones Expressway

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Formally named the Bobby Jones Expressway, Interstate 520 (Georgia State Route 415) forms a loop around the western and southern portions of the Augusta east to bypass North Augusta, South Carolina. The freeway carries six lanes from Interstate 20 south to U.S. 1 (Deans Bridge Road) and four lanes from there eastward to the Palmetto Parkway portion in South Carolina.

Interstate 520 Georgia Guides

Interstate 520 originally ended at SR 56 Spur (Doug Barnard Parkway). Approved in February 1989, an extension lengthened the freeway five miles east to Sand Bar Ferry Road (Sar 28) as part of $41 million in road work. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held ahead of the opening on July 31, 1998.1

Initial expansion of the freeway to six lanes was underway between December 1997 and July 1999 between Interstate 20 and U.S. 78/278 (Gordon Highway). This $22.3 million project included the adding of auxiliary lanes between Wheeler (Exit 1C) and Wrightsboro Roads (Exit 2)2

Sign replacements in 2000 coincided with a state wide signing project that renumbered most Georgia Interstate exits from a sequential based system to a mileage based system. Several exits on I-520 remained the same due to the coincidence with mileposts, though exit numbers to the south were increased. The state transportation board approved the $6.5 million renumbering in 1997.3

Originally a full cloverleaf interchange joined I-20 and I-520 on the northwest side of Augusta. A $200 million upgrade took place between 2007 and October 31, 2009 that added new flyovers from I-20 west to I-520 east and I-520 west to I-20 west. Additional work focused on the widening of Interstate 20 from four to six lanes in the vicinity of I-520, expansion of I-520 southward to Wheeler Road, and adding a new interchange between Bobby Jones Expressway and Scott Nixon Memorial Drive.4

Widening of Interstate 520 underway between late 2011 and early 2013 expanded Bobby Jones Expressway from four to six lanes between Exits 3 and 5 as part of a $30 million project. Associated work reconfigured the cloverleaf interchanges at both U.S. 1 (Deans Bridge Road) and U.S. 78/278 (Gordon Highway) into parclo interchanges with the elimination of loop ramps from I-520 to the respective arterials.5

Interstate 520 scenes
Scott Nixon Memorial Drive meets SR 232 at a folded diamond interchange just north of the exchange joining I-520 and I-20. 05/24/19
SR 28 (Sand Bar Ferry Road) north at the eastbound entrance ramp for Interstate 520 to North Augusta, South Carolina. 07/07/04

Sources:
  1. "Road Ready - Bobby Jones Extension to Open Last Stretch of Expressway in County Can Be Traveled Friday, Could Bring More Development." Augusta Chronicle (GA), July 29, 1998.
  2. "Building Progress - Roadwork Continues By Night." Augusta Chronicle (GA), September 3, 1999.
  3. "Drivers Will See New Signs - Changed Exits Numbers Will Be Based on Mile Markers Instead of Previous Sequential System." Augusta Chronicle (GA), January 11, 2000.
  4. "More I-20 ramps to open by July 4." Augusta Chronicle (GA), June 27, 2009.
  5. "I-520 Gets Money for Widening - Stretch of Bobby Jones to Get 2 Additional Lanes." Augusta Chronicle (GA), October 4, 2011.


Photo Credits:

    07/07/04 by Carter Buchanan. 05/24/19 by AARoads.

Connect with:
Interstate 20
Interstate 520 - Palmetto Parkway
U.S. 1
U.S. 25
U.S. 78
State Route 121

Page Updated 03-25-2022.

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