MOULTRIE — The Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled its latest proposal for work on the Highway 133 Sunbelt Parkway from Moultrie to Albany. The proposal was unveiled to the public at three separate meetings in at Okapilco Elementary School and in Doerun and Albany Tuesday.

DOT Communications Officer Craig Solomon said the proposal came from public input, historical considerations and environmental concerns. It was not the final plan, however, as the meetings were a chance to gather more public input and make any changes.

Among the most significant proposed changes was creating a bypass around the City of Doerun, Solomon said. Much of the current roadway with the exception of the Doerun bypass will remain almost identical to the current Sunbelt Parkway. Access to Doerun will still be available.

Another difference would be speed limit changes, as Solomon said the rural speed limit would be 65 mph and in urban areas 45 mph. The road would run four lanes with a 44-foot median the entire way from Moultrie to Albany and would be broken up into four separate projects. It was not known, however, when the projects would be put in motion.

“State Route 133, the Sunbelt Parkway, is an important corridor in the Governor’s Road Improvement Program (GRIP),” Solomon said. “Major projects such as this proposed route require considerable time for planning, design and right-of-way acquisition prior to their actual construction. While construction of 133 is not funded at this time, it is important to continue to move forward with the planning and public input process so that the various phases of the project can move forward if and when construction funds become available.”

The meetings held Tuesday discussed only the section of Highway 133 from Moultrie to Albany, Solomon said. Four-laning of the section of Highway 133 from Moultrie to Valdosta is currently in the review process with the DOT.

For more information about the Sunbelt Highway proposal, visit the DOT’s Web site at www.dot.ga.gov or call (229) 386-3300.