New Berckmans Road will soon open to traffic

In two weeks the public will get its first glimpse at the new Berckmans Road, which will officially open to traffic after a year of changes.

“I’m very happy with what this thing is and what it’s become,” Augusta Traffic Engineer Steve Cassell said of the realignment project.

The $16.7 million project has been in the works for years but officially started seeing construction after last year’s Masters Tour­na­ment. The first phase, which involved moving the northern portion of the road away from the border of Augusta National Golf Club and realigning it to connect with Alexander Drive, is expected to open to traffic by Feb. 29.

The new portion sweeps through parking lots previously used by Augusta National. The old portion will be closed to traffic and used as a service road.

The second phase of the project, which involves widening from Wheeler Road to Ingle­side Drive with a traffic circle, will begin seeing some work after this year’s tournament, such as utilities being moved, but the major changes to the existing road won’t happen until after the 2017 Masters.

Last week, crews added landscaping and final touches to the new Berck­mans Road.

Even after the road opens to traffic, Cassell said, there will be more beautification work before visitors start arriving for Masters Week, which begins April 4.

The new road has been widened to feature a center turn lane, sidewalks, extra lighting and tunnels – two for pedestrians and one for vehicles.

Cassell said the tunnels, which are landscaped and have stonework walls, are not only a visual benefit to the project but also a way to keep the thousands of pedestrians going to and from the course safe. Augusta National will maintain the tunnels, which will be open only during the Masters.

“Our first priority is pedestrians,” Cassell said. “We’ve got a lot of people (from out of the area).”

Though the road shift might seem like a major change for visitors familiar with their old route, Cassell said he doesn’t anticipate any issues or confusion. Signs will direct traffic.

The shift will not affect the one-way Masters traffic on Berckmans Road that has become standard over the past several years. Cassell said Berckmans Road will still turn one-way southbound about 3:30 or 4 p.m. each day as patrons leave the course.

Other traditional Masters traffic changes will remain the same. Engineers will close the eastbound Interstate 20 ramp to Washington Road each morning at 7:30 a.m. and will restripe a turn lane on Alexander Drive to prohibit cross-traffic turns.

Cassell said there shouldn’t be any issues as long as patrons pay attention to the signs and officers are there directing traffic. Problems usually arise, he said, when drivers choose to follow their GPS directions and ignore the signs.