Improvements to I-95 interchanges at airport, Georgia 204 on TSPLOST list. What's the plan?

Zoe Nicholson, Savannah Morning News
·4 min read

For much of the eastern seaboard, Interstate 95 is a gateway to lands north and south. In Chatham County, the interstate serves as a major hub of transportation for commuters, cargo trucks and tourists.

The proposed TSPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) project list includes two I-95 interchanges, one on the north end of the county, and the other to the south. Here's what they are, what they'll cost and what to expect:

TSPLOST referendum

At the bottom of Chatham County voters' general election ballot is a referendum seeking enactment of a Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. If approved by majority vote, TSPLOST would mean an additional 1% sales tax on goods and services sold within Chatham County to be collected for the next five years. TSPLOST revenue can only be used for transportation-related projects.

A team of Savannah Morning News journalists examined the major roads, bridges, trails sidewalks and other infrastructure to be improved using TSPLOST dollars.

Roads: West Chatham arteries to be widened

Interchanges: Interstate 95 exits get upgrades

Flyover: President Street railroad tracks to be addressed

Trails and sidewalks: Tide to Town trail network gets infusion

What is it?

Chatham County is proposing millions of dollars in roadway improvements on the TSPLOST referendum set for the Nov. 8 ballot. Two I-95 interchanges are on the list; Airport Avenue in Pooler and Georgia 204 near Georgetown, also known as Gateway.

The interchanges are sites of heavy daily traffic and have been eyed for improvements for a long while.

How TSPLOST works: Voters will be asked to increase sales taxes for transportation projects

Where is it?

The Airport Avenue/I-95 interchange is off Pooler Parkway and serves as the main access for travelers heading to the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport as well as to the Godley Station section of Pooler, which includes the Tanger Outlets and dozens of other retail businesses. The interchange is in a heavily trafficked area with a golf course, hotels, restaurants and shopping all nearby. Designs have not been finalized.

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The Georgia 204/Gateway interchange is a major point for travel between Bryan and Chatham Counties and serves as an entry point for commuters who work in Chatham County but live elsewhere, such as Bryan or Liberty County. The interchange sits just west of Georgetown on Fort Argyle Road, a major site for industrial development in the city and county. The interchange is one of the most accident-prone areas in the county, according to Chatham County spokesperson Catherine Glasby.

How much will it cost?

Chatham County has reserved $20 million for the Airways Avenue interchange to the east of I-95, which also includes work on Pooler Parkway west of I-95. While $20 million is what the county will contribute to the project, I-95 is a federal highway, which opens the project up for state and federal funding.

Wykoda Wang, director of transportation administration for the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission, said the project requires 20% local match of funds, with the rest handled with federal money.

"If the local governments will provide the matching funds, TSPLOST might be a very important source for the local match," Wang said.

The county has set aside $9 million for improvements at Georgia 204 and I-95. Plans for the Gateway interchange have yet to be drawn up, according to Glasby. "This project will evaluate the operation and safety of the interchange and develop alternatives for improvements," Glasby said.

"GDOT has programmed several quick response projects to improve the operation and safety, but a scoping/concept phase is needed to evaluate the need for long term improvements."

The two-year construction project to ease traffic at the 16@95 interchange is halfway complete, according to the Georgia Dept. of Transportation. The $260 million roadwork will add two new bridges that will act as ramps onto and off of I-95, and widen I-16 between Interstates 516 and 95.
The two-year construction project to ease traffic at the 16@95 interchange is halfway complete, according to the Georgia Dept. of Transportation. The $260 million roadwork will add two new bridges that will act as ramps onto and off of I-95, and widen I-16 between Interstates 516 and 95.

When will it be done?

Lori Lynah, spokesperson for the Savannah airport, said the airport commission and Georgia Department of Transportation have been eyeing improvements for the interchange for years. She added that GDOT is considering options for the project design now as part of the "scoping phase," which takes about two years.

There is no formal timeline, but the project is in the Metropolitan Planning Organization's five-year pipeline. The MPO is a regional board tasked with long-term transportation planning.

There are no plans yet for the Georgia 204 interchange at I-95. Studies to determine the scope of the project still need to be done, and designs drawn up, which typically takes a year or two. "This interchange is in the top 10 list for highest accident frequency in Chatham County," Glasby said. "Based on this information, the County is programming TSPLOST funds to be used as a local match for federal funds to review and develop the project."

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: Chatham TSPLOST: Improvements at I-95 exits at airport, Georgia 204