VALDOSTA — All vehicles which are not making a delivery in the immediate vicinity of the new overpass will have to find alternate routes immediately.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is cracking down on drivers who continue to go through the construction area on U.S. 84/ West Hill Avenue, where an overpass is being constructed over the railroad tracks.

The only traffic allowed through that area now will be trucks making local deliveries.

All others are being redirected by the DOT on the following routes:

For vehicles: All traffic flowing eastbound must turn right on St. Augustine Road/ Old Clyattville Road, turn left on Gil Harbin Industrial Blvd., turn left on Madison Highway and turn left on South Patterson St. to access downtown. Heading westbound, drivers simply reverse the directions.

For trucks: All traffic flowing eastbound must turn right on St. Augustine Road/ Old Clyattville Road, turn left on Gil Harbin Industrial Blvd., turn right on Madison Highway and then left on Inner Perimeter Road.

Westbound, directions are reversed.

The intent of the detours is to keep all trucks out of the downtown area completely, unless they are making local deliveries.

According to the DOT, local and state law enforcement are monitoring the area for those not following the detours as directed. Drivers not obeying the directions, detour signs or signage will be ticketed, according to the DOT.

Orange detour signs are placed all around the route to ensure drivers understand.

The $9.7 million overpass is expected to be finished by December 2014 at the latest. Reames and Sons Construction of Valdosta won the construction contract, which includes the 0.62 mile overpass, with the highway proposed to ramp up on either side of the railroad crossing with barrier walls.

A 300-foot bridge will extend over the railroad.

Establishing the detour routes, which run south around the project area on neighborhood streets for civilian drivers and south along the loop for commercial tractor-trailers, will shorten the time of the project. Without detours, the project would likely take another year, GDOT Deputy Press Secretary Jill Goldberg said in an interview in 2012.

“This detour is allowing this project to be completed a year ahead of schedule,” Goldberg said. “We realize there may be an inconvenience, but this detour will shorten a longer inconvenience.”

VALDOSTA — A customer and two employees were unharmed during a Sunday evening robbery as two masked men demanded cash from registers and the business’ safe as the Dollar General on Bemiss Road prepared to close at around 11:30 p.m., according to reports from the Valdosta Police Department.

One of the employees called 911 from a cell phone and provided a rudimentary description of the two suspects as the offenders fled the store on foot in a northeasterly direction, according to reports. The offenders were described as tall, thin, African Americans who’s faced had been obscured by cloth, reports stated.

Two employees and a customer were in the store at the time of the incident. The employees were preparing to close the store for the night when two males entered the store holding handguns.

The Dollar General reports that store 4160 Bemiss Road has an 11 p.m. closing time, though a customer was still in the store during the 11:30 p.m. robbery, according to reports.

Valdosta Police Department patrol units, detectives and crime lab personnel responded to the scene and began investigating the case, reports stated..

Anyone having any information regarding this robbery has been urged to contact the Valdosta Police Department at 229-293-3135 or via the department anonymous tip-line at 229-293-3091.