The two-year construction project to ease congestion at the I-16 and I-95 interchange is halfway complete, according to the Georgia Dept. of Transportation.
The project widens I-16 between Interstates 95 and 516 and adds new ramps onto and off I-95. The $260 million project also resurfaces most of the lanes in and around the Chatham County interchange.
It's the largest reconstruction project for the southeast region since the interstate system was installed in the 1970s, according to GDOT. Planning and design began in 2016.
Collector-distributor lanes will be added to I-16 and I-95, which are separated lanes from the main interstate to allow local and through traffic to be separated. Visually, they resemble frontage roads, but are still part of the interstate system.
A third lane on each side of I-16 is meant to ease congestion for travelers and freight carriers, according to GDOT. There are no plans for separate truck lanes.
Two new bridges that will connect the interstates are under construction, with foundational columns in place, according to a memo from Ron Nelson, GDOT project principal.
The work began last summer and is expected to wrap up between July and September of 2022. The quick pace means ramps are closed nightly for repaving. For weekly updates on which lanes and ramps are closed (typically between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.), follow Georgia DOT Southeast on Facebook.
Here are the some of the upcoming ramp closures:
- I-95 N to I-16 E (99A ramp): closed Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- I-16 W to I-516 E (164A exit): Aug. 6, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Drivers who frequent the interchange should expect congestion, especially during windows when ramps are closed and repaving work is underway, according to Jen Nagel, GDOT Southeast spokesperson.
More traffic pattern shifts, a new bridge over I-16 on Bunger Pit Road and new emergency lanes are on the horizon, according to Nelson.
Zoe covers growth and how it impacts communities in the Savannah area. Find her at znicholson@gannett.com, @zoenicholson_ on Twitter, and @zoenicholsonreporter on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: GDOT: One more year of construction at the I-16, I-95 interchange in Chatham County
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