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WEST POINT — Exit 2 off I-85 has been a very busy work zone for some time. Bridge construction work has been taking place over Long Cane Creek on Georgia Highway 18, a 144-unit apartment complex is going up on the west side of the Interstate next to the former Coca-Cola plant, and on the east side at what will be a Love’s Travel Stop and County Store is nearing completion on the east side.

The apartment complex is going up in two 72-unit buildings. The work is ahead of schedule, and leasing could take place in the near future. Work is also running ahead of schedule at Love’s.

The road project is a different story. The first of the two new bridges to built is now open, and east-west traffic is going across it. Many unexpected problems were faced in building that first bridge including a fire that destroyed a crane that had been putting in new concrete sections. Before the second two-lane structure can be built for east-bound traffic, the 1964-era bridge must be taken out before the new two-lane structure can be built. All that will be time consuming. There’s also the matter of building three new roundabouts, two at the Interstate and one at the junction of Highways 18 and 103.

The road project is being headed up by C.W. Mathews, one of the largest contractors in Georgia. For more than 75 years, the Marietta-based company has helped people of the state lead better lives by helping grow the state’s infrastructure and its economy.

The road projects have a projected completion date sometime next spring. There’s a whole lot of work to be done before then.

West Point Mayor Steve Tramell is well pleased with what’s taken place thus far at the West Point Village and at Love’s. He’s convinced these two additions will be a big deal for West Point.

“They have been working on the entrance way to the West Point Village, and it’s looking good,” he said. “The apartments look great. West Point Village is going to be good for West Point. Love’s is going to be good for West Point and the entire local area. I’m looking forward to the day they uncover their big sign and light it up.”

That big sign is some 185 feet in the air and can be seen for a long distance along the Interstate.

Love’s is being built on a 20-acre site. In addition to the Country Store there will be a Hardee’s and a Godfather’s Pizza inside. On the outside will be an unusually large number of fueling stations. There will also be a store for truck tires on the back side.