MOULTRIE, Ga. — A portion of State Route 133 in Moultrie will open to traffic next week, the first of nine sections of the highway that Georgia DOT is widening or reconstructing from Brooks to Dougherty counties.

The southbound lanes from Hawthorne Drive to U.S. 319/SR 35 in Moultrie opened to traffic Friday, but signs still have to be installed on the northbound side, the Georgia Department of Transportation said. That may be completed Monday. Permanent striping remains to be done, but can be accomplished with rolling lane closures and minimal traffic interruption.

Georgia DOT is widening or reconstructing a total of 66 miles of SR 133 with construction divided into nine sections. Five projects on the southern end of the highway are in various stages of construction and Georgia DOT held two public information open houses Thursday night on the remaining four projects.

The improvements to SR 133 are considered important to economic development. It is a major north/south corridor that plays a vital role in moving people and goods.

Moultrie City Manager Peter Dillard sees it as an important connection among Albany, Moultrie and Valdosta. Some Moultrie residents travel for work to Albany or Valdosta and a better road will provide them with a safer commute, he said.

“It also opens a lot of possibility for trucking, which every business is dependent upon. It opens opportunities for economic development. We can now show companies how we’re going to be interconnected. Those are very positive factors,” he said.

SR 133 is a Governor’s Road Improvement Program (GRIP) corridor. The GRIP program started in 1989 and is designed to ensure that virtually all Georgia communities have access to four-lane state highways or the interstate.

The 4.5-mile Moultrie section of SR 133 that is opening first was already four lanes. The project added a center turn lane, underground drainage, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, pedestrian signals and wheelchair ramps that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Traffic was never detoured, but was shifted to accommodate construction that began two years ago. The construction cost is $16.4 million and the contractor is Reames and Son Construction Co. Inc. of Valdosta.

The next section scheduled to open is from Troupeville Road to Pauline Church Road in Brooks County, a little over six miles. It is the southernmost of the projects. The contractor has been granted a time extension due to weather delays and construction is expected to be complete before the end of the year.

The remaining projects on the southern end of SR 133 are scheduled for completion in 2018. They are Pauline Church Road to Old Quitman-Adel Road in Brooks County, Old Quitman-Adel Road in Brooks County to Old Berlin Road in Colquitt County, and Old Berlin Road to Hawthorne Drive in Colquitt County.