2nd and Telfair streets stay closed for drainage pipe, and Broad Street's outside lanes are shut from 5th to 6th streets. Plus Ellis Street and I-20 on 511.
Last checked 2026-11-03. Updated weekly. Sources: Augusta Engineering’s traffic alerts, the city’s downtown project site augustadtp.com, Georgia DOT’s 511 and the Augusta Regional Transportation Study.
Most of the road work in Augusta this fall is downtown, where the city is rebuilding Broad Street and its cross streets with money from the regional transportation sales tax (TIA). Georgia DOT maintains the interstates and state routes; Augusta Engineering maintains city and county streets, signals and signs.
Who to call
- Live traffic and closures on I-20, I-520 and state routes: dial 511, or 511ga.org
- Potholes, signals out, stop sign down: Augusta 311, dial 3-1-1 or 706-821-2300, or report online
- Traffic Engineering: 706-821-1850, 452 Walker St., Suite 120
- Downtown projects: Augusta Engineering, 706-796-5040, or augustadtp@augustaga.gov
- Crash or hazard in the road: 911
This week
| Where | What | Until |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Street at Telfair Street | Intersection closed to all traffic since Monday, Oct. 26, to install drainage pipe; residents follow the posted detour, other drivers use alternate routes | Several weeks, the city said |
| Broad Street, 5th to 6th streets | Outside lanes closed for demolition work since Monday, Nov. 2; inside lanes and median parking stay open | No end date; as long as construction is in the area, the project said |
| Ellis Street (section not yet named) | Utility duct-line crossing: a short full closure on the days needed, then one lane with flaggers; businesses and driveways stay open | Dates not yet announced |
Sources: the city’s Oct. 23 2nd and Telfair advisory, the Oct. 13 Ellis Street advisory, and the downtown project’s advisory for Broad Street between 5th and 6th streets.
On Broad Street, businesses between 5th and 6th streets stay open; during sidewalk work they are reached over compacted stone, and access may be limited briefly while crews are working, the project said. On Ellis Street, the city said the full closure will be used only on the days needed for the duct-line crossing; it has not yet posted the dates or the block.
Finished or scheduled to have ended: Laney Walker Boulevard between 15th Street and Hospital Access Road was closed for demolition through Sunday, Nov. 1, under the city’s Oct. 30 advisory. Paving on James Brown Boulevard between Reynolds and Broad streets ran through Saturday, Oct. 31, and the 7th Street closure north of Broad was scheduled to end Oct. 31. Paving on Broad Street between 13th and 15th streets began Wednesday, Oct. 28, and was expected to take about four days, weather permitting; the project has not posted a completion notice. The one-way northbound pattern on St. Sebastian Way between Harper Street and R.A. Dent Boulevard was scheduled through Nov. 2; two-way traffic returns when the water line is finished, and we could not confirm on Nov. 3 that it has. The city’s notice of the daytime eastbound lane closure on Broad Street between 9th and 8th streets has been taken down; it never gave an end date, and we could not confirm whether that work is finished. Call Augusta Engineering at 706-796-5040 for the current status.
On the interstates, Georgia DOT’s 511 construction list showed no work zones in Augusta, Richmond County or Columbia County on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The nearest were maintenance lane closures on I-20 in Greene and Taliaferro counties, west toward Atlanta. Overnight lane closures come and go; check 511ga.org before a late-night trip on I-20 or I-520.
The downtown projects
The city’s downtown infrastructure projects began April 17, 2023, on six streets: 5th, 6th, 13th, Broad, Greene and Telfair. The city said at the start that they would take 30 to 36 months. Broad Street is the biggest:
- Broad Street, 5th to 15th streets: redesigned parking, raised bike lanes, new sidewalks and ramps, an improved James Brown plaza and landscaping. Projected budget $42 million. The contractor is E.R. Snell.
- Greene Street, 5th Street to East Boundary: drainage, paving, parking, bike lanes, sidewalks and lighting. Projected budget $12 million.
The project site sends traffic updates every two weeks by email, and maps closures through Causeway one.network. Over the summer, crews also closed 13th Street between Broad and Jones streets for stormwater pipe, the city said in a July 20 advisory.
State projects
Georgia DOT awarded three Richmond County contracts in August 2026, all to E.R. Snell Contractor, WJBF reported:
- I-520 (Bobby Jones Expressway) Exit 7, Windsor Spring and Peach Orchard roads: a wider eastbound exit ramp with two through lanes and a left-turn lane onto Windsor Spring Road, and a right-turn lane on Windsor Spring southbound for the westbound entrance ramp.
- State Route 56 (Mike Padgett Highway): resurfacing more than four miles between Tobacco Road and Peach Orchard Road, due by June 30, 2027.
- State Route 88: resurfacing about two miles between Windsor Spring Road and U.S. 25, due by June 30, 2027.
Further out, GDOT told the Augusta Regional Transportation Study on March 19, 2026, that the replacement of the State Route 4/U.S. 25 Business bridge over the Savannah River at the South Carolina line is on schedule to go to construction bids in December 2027, according to the meeting minutes (PDF). The same minutes list widening I-20 to six lanes from State Route 388 to Wheeler Road, with construction funding shown in 2033 and the schedule not yet approved.
What this means for you
- Living near 2nd and Telfair streets? The intersection is closed for several weeks; follow the posted detour home.
- Driving Broad Street between 5th and 6th streets? Only the inside lanes are open, with no end date posted.
- Going to Piedmont Augusta? Watch the signs on St. Sebastian Way until the city confirms two-way traffic is back.
- Check 511 before you use I-20, I-520 or the Savannah River bridges.
This page is refreshed weekly. Related: getting around Augusta and who to call at City Hall.
Frequently asked questions
What roads are closed in downtown Augusta?
As of Nov. 3, 2026, the intersection of 2nd and Telfair streets has been closed to all traffic since Oct. 26 for drainage pipe, and the city expects the closure to last several weeks. Since Nov. 2, the outside lanes of Broad Street between 5th and 6th streets have been closed for demolition work; the inside lanes and median parking stay open.
When will the Broad Street construction in Augusta be finished?
The city’s downtown projects began April 17, 2023, and were expected to take 30 to 36 months. Work on Broad Street is still under way in November 2026, with outside lane closures between 5th and 6th streets; check augustadtp.com for the current phase.
Is St. Sebastian Way still one-way?
The city scheduled the one-way northbound pattern between Harper Street and R.A. Dent Boulevard, for a water line near Piedmont Augusta, to run Oct. 5 through Nov. 2, 2026. Two-way traffic returns when the water line is finished; the city had not posted a reopening notice as of Nov. 3.
How do I check traffic on I-20 and I-520 in Augusta?
Dial 511 from any phone or use 511ga.org, Georgia DOT’s live traffic and closure service.
Who do I call about a pothole or a broken traffic signal in Augusta?
Augusta 311: dial 3-1-1 or 706-821-2300, or report it online. Traffic Engineering is at 706-821-1850.
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