After years of grappling with traffic and safety concerns, neighbors to the Islands Expressway bridge over the Wilmington River will see temporary improvements at the construction site that's swallowed up four subdivision entrances.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
"It's not just about the people who live in Causton Bluff, The Bluff, Blue Heron and Emerald Pointes. It's about every commuter on that road every day," Causton Bluff neighborhood association President Susan Brinkley said during an hour-long meeting between Georgia Department of Transportation officials and residents who live near the bridge site.
"Whether they're from out of town, out of state, going on vacation, going home from vacation. It has effects a lot of people; it's not just about those communities, and while we're in the middle of it, we're concerned about everybody."
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
The work to replace the Sam Varnedoe Drawbridge over the Wilmington River has hit several hiccups, delaying construction for two years and plaguing residents of the nearby communities with dangerous traffic conditions.
In the days leading up to the meeting with Chatham County and the Georgia Dept. of Transportation — something neighbors have long-asked for — two elderly women were hit head-on trying to pull out of Causton Bluff neighborhood, which sits in the middle of the orange-coned construction zone along East President Street.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
"Be proactive to prevent a fatality, any way that can happen," Brinkley told GDOT officials at the Aug. 14 meeting. "That's what we would like to see."
Brinkley was one of 30 neighbors who attended the meeting, where GDOT officials talked through a number of temporary fixes coming to the site, including:
- GDOT will "reassess the striking" of lane and road lines
- Temporary, 200-foot right- and left-turn lanes into The Bluff and Causton Bluff communities
- Inquire about the possibility of a flashing beacon, similar to the one on the Thunderbolt bridge, for the top of the newly constructed Wilmington River bridge
- Place vibration monitors to ensure construction has not created structural issues
- Chatham County is looking into adding a street light, since the area is too dark for many to see while driving at night
- Construction site clean-up
- Speak with contract crew about blocking lines of sight and entrances with their equipment
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
"We've received a lot of emails, a lot of concerns from y'all and so we're reevaluating this," said Bryan Czech, GDOT construction engineer over the project.
The bridgework is one of the last GDOT projects to replace the unwieldy and expensive drawbridges that used to dot the Savannah region. The only other drawbridge left is the Houlihan Bridge in Port Wentworth, which is slated to be replaced after work on the Wilmington River wraps up in 2024.
According to Czech, the project is 20% over its $60 million contract budget. For every day the contractor, Prince Construction, is late on their estimated completion date — which was supposed to be this year — the company must pay a fine, according to GDOT district spokesperson Jill Nagel.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Issues with the bridge supports sinking into the marshy riverbed delayed construction on the westbound span for months. The span opened in July, shifting traffic away from the drawbridge where construction continues.
Since its opening, there have been at least two wrecks where cars were totaled, both because homeowners from the adjacent neighborhoods pulled out in front of a fast-moving vehicle descending the westbound span, which was built at the highest grade possible.
"The only thing we got stopping traffic now is the wrecks," The Bluff resident George Grady said at the meeting.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
The half-mile leading up to the span is a tangle of orange construction cones, with no new lines yet to be stricken on the pavement. For many of the nearby homeowners, the cones provide little help in directing vehicles.
"I can't tell where to turn," Grady said. "It's a nightmare."
GDOT will begin adding temporary turn lanes into the neighborhoods on Sept. 12, with work to be completed within an evening. Permanent solutions for once the bridge is completed are still being mulled over, according to Czech, but he promised to ensure safety is top of mind.
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: County, GDOT to implement temporary safety measures at Islands Expressway bridge
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