New details on the plans to raise the Talmadge Bridge in Savannah have been announced.
According to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), crews will raise the bridge by 20 ft. beginning in 2025. However, the first step would be to replace the cables that are currently on the bridge. The new cables would have the ability to be shorted until the bridge reaches the new desired height.
GDOT said that this needed project will help with growth at the nearby Port of Savannah.
The Talmadge Bridge has 185 feet of clearance, however that could all change if the project goes to plan.
GDOT officials say the goal is to explore increasing the Talmadge’s height over time to allow for bigger cargo ships to pass below.
Results from a public comment period of 140 people show that 59 support the project 26 were against and the remainder were undecided.
According to GDOT, crews will work to reduce traffic impacts while work is underway, noting that the bridge was designed to have the cables replaced as traffic moves across it. The cable replacement would only be temporary.
GDOT says it’s all in an effort to reduce limits on the size of ships able to travel under the bridge into the Port of Savannah.
Officials say a study is currently in the works to come up with separate plans to eventually replace this bridge several years from now.
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Source: WTOC.com
