Buena Vista Road Diverging Diamond Construction 77% Complete, Expected to Finish in December

Columbus City Council discusses ongoing road project, including major traffic changes coming to Buena Vista Road over I-185.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 10:21pm

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The $52.7 million T-SPLOST funded project to build a new diverging diamond interchange on Buena Vista Road over I-185 in Columbus, Georgia is 77% complete, with an estimated finish date of December 2026. City officials explained the project has taken longer than a similar diverging diamond on Bradley Park due to the need to rearrange utilities and demolish and rebuild two new bridges over the interstate.

Why it matters

The new diverging diamond interchange is designed to improve traffic flow and reduce crashes along the busy Buena Vista Road corridor. However, the lengthy construction process has led to complaints from local residents about the condition of the area around the work site.

The details

Construction on the Buena Vista Road diverging diamond interchange began in 2020. According to Director of Engineering Vance Beck, rearranging utilities has been a major contributor to the project's lengthy timeline, with water, fiber, gas, and overhead utilities all needing to be relocated. In contrast, the recently completed diverging diamond on Bradley Park did not require building new bridges over the interstate.

  • Construction on the Buena Vista Road project began in 2020.
  • The project is currently 77% complete as of March 2026.
  • The expected completion date for the project is December 2026.

The players

Vance Beck

Director of Engineering for the City of Columbus.

Toyia Tucker

Columbus City Councilwoman representing the district where the Buena Vista Road construction is taking place.

Pamela Hodge

Deputy City Manager for the City of Columbus.

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What they’re saying

“You got water, fiber, gas, you got all the overhead utilities. That was a large project.”

— Vance Beck, Director of Engineering

“Bradley, no new bridges built over the interstate. With Buena Vista, bridges were demolished overnight and two new ones were built. Those two projects will look very similar, but they are night and day in how they have to be finished.”

— Vance Beck, Director of Engineering

“I'm just going to tell you it is filthy. You have individuals busting tires. It's not as smooth, I'm going to say, taken care of like other areas.”

— Toyia Tucker, City Councilwoman

What’s next

GDOT will address the complaints from residents about the condition of the area around the Buena Vista Road construction site.

The takeaway

While the new diverging diamond interchange on Buena Vista Road is expected to improve traffic flow and safety once completed, the lengthy construction process has led to frustration among local residents due to the disruption and poor conditions in the area. The city is working to address these concerns with the state transportation department.