Update on President Street Project
The City of Savannah is nearing the completion of the President St. roadway improvements and the City anticipates that thoroughfare will be open to regular traffic, without further detours or traffic shifts, in April.
Most of the work that needs to be completed involves minor projects such as street paving, finishing the sidewalks, and signal timing adjustments. In addition crews will be doing corrective work to the new bridge decks and final paving. The City recently discovered issues with the surface of the bridge decks that extend over the Casey Canal near the railroad tracks. The contractor has accepted responsibility and will be correcting the issues beginning Monday, January 29, at no cost to the City.
This work will require the removal of the top portion of the decks and then place the final paving. There are no concerns about the structural integrity of the bridges. The work will begin with the eastbound deck and when completed traffic will be shifted to complete the westbound deck.
These corrective measures will not impact the timeline for the completion of the project.
Final paving will include the resurfacing of President St. from Randolph to East Broad St. and East Broad St. from Oglethorpe Ave. to Bay St.. These are the roadways used as a detour while General McIntosh Blvd. was closed and have seen excessive wear during over period. General McIntosh Blvd. was opened in all directions earlier this week on January 23.
“We have already seen improvements in traffic flow since we opened General McIntosh Blvd. We want to see the rest of the project finished just like all the motorists who commute along President St.,” said Public Works Director John Sawyer. “This three-year project has allowed us to greatly improve drainage in the area, raise President St. and General McIntosh Blvd. six to eight feet, improve the appearance of the roadways, install new traffic signals, and make way for future development of the Savannah River Landing site.”
Schedules are still being worked out to determine when the weather will be suitable for paving and to insure construction does not interfere with the St. Patrick’s Day parade. More information about the President Street Project can be found on the City’s website: www.savannahga.gov/president. This project is in line with the City’s strategic plan Savannah Forward under the “Infrastructure” priority to improve the City’s roadways and drainage systems.