TSPLOST would fund study to address infamous traffic snarl: President Street railroad tracks
Savannah City Manager Jay Melder was late for his dentist’s appointment.
It was September of this year, and Melder had an early one scheduled, on Eisenhower Drive. From downtown, he was hoping to take President Street to the Truman Parkway to head southside. But he couldn't get to the Truman on ramp. There was a train in the way.
The city manager isn’t the only one to have met this fate. Every day, hundreds of drivers are stalled at the President Street railroad crossing, whether traveling westward from the islands or eastward towards them.
A proposed flyover for the troublesome spot, a plan to take drivers over the passing trains, is among the 64 projects to be funded by a proposed Transportation Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST).
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
Here’s what you need to know about the proposed President Street flyover.
How TSPLOST works: Voters will be asked to increase sales taxes for transportation projects
More: Letter to the editor: Waiting for the train to pass coming into Savannah
From 2012: Vox Populi: 'They really need to build a bridge over the train tracks on President Street'
TSPLOST 2022: How cities propose to spend their revenues form proposed penny sales tax
What is it?
Speaking strictly by definition, a flyover is an elevated roadway that carries cars over another roadway. In this case, it would allow cars to drive above the railroad tracks, freeing up President Street traffic that is currently stopped at the railroad crossing today.
Where is it?
The railroad crossing is close to the Truman’s northern terminus at President Street, just east of where President Street meets East Broad Street. For many, especially islands residents, President Street is the best option for heading westward into town.
What will it cost?
The proposed TSPLOST allocation for the overpass is listed among other projects on Savannah’s improvement list under a section dubbed “Local Roadway Congestion Mitigation Program.” The city has proposed the projects receive $41.5 million, by far the most funded item on their TSPLOST list.
Other projects on the Congestion Mitigation Program list include Skidaway Road widening and intersection improvements; Louisville Road improvements; and contributions to the decades old Project DeRenne for right-of-way acquisition and federal funding match.
Melder estimated the flyover would cost “tens of millions of dollars,” but that’s not a budget number, just an estimate.
When will it be done?
If TSPLOST passes, it will not fund the construction of the project immediately. Melder said there’s a lot of work to be done beforehand: outreach to architects and engineering firms, site work, feasibility studies, environmental reviews and other prep work that major roadway construction requires.
He says getting the funding for these studies and knowing the best path forward is key, noting “That’s how you get funding for big transportation projects. They have to be shovel-ready,” Melder said.
He said it …
“This is a major lifeline between downtown Savannah and the islands, where we have a lot of population and a lot of our workforce. Going back and forth is really important. And when that's stopped for any reason, it can cause delays.” - Savannah City Manager Jay Melder.
Will Peebles is the City Council and County Commission reporter for Savannah Morning News, covering local Savannah and Chatham County decisions. He can be reached at wpeebles@savannahnow.com or on Twitter @willpeeblesSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: President Street railroad tracks stall traffic. Would a flyover help?
