Interstate 16


Interstate 16, also known as Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway, is an east–west Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Georgia. It carries the hidden designation of State Route 404 for its entire length. I-16 travels from downtown Macon, at an interchange with I-75 and SR 540 to downtown Savannah at Montgomery Street. It connects Macon and Savannah, via Dublin, Metter, and Pooler. I-16's unsigned designation of SR 404 has a spur that is signed in Savannah.
The western-most segment in Macon, from I-75 and US 80/SR 87, is part of the Fall Line Freeway, a highway that connects Columbus and Augusta. This segment may also be incorporated into the proposed eastern extension of I-14, which is currently entirely within Central Texas and may be extended to Augusta.

Route description

Bibb County

I-16 begins at an interchange with I-75/SR 540, just northwest of downtown Macon, in Bibb County. Here, it begins a concurrency with SR 540. The Interstate and SR 540 proceed southeast, traveling just east of the downtown area. They cross over the Ocmulgee River and then have an interchange with US 23/US 129/SR 49. Then, they have a partial interchange with SR 22 that is only accessible from the westbound lanes. Almost immediately is an interchange with US 80/SR 87. At this intersection, SR 540 departs the concurrency to the north-northeast. Within the eastern part of this interchange, the highway travels under a railroad bridge that carries railroad tracks of Norfolk Southern Railway. In the east-central part of Macon, I-16 travels through Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park but without direct access. Visitors need to first exit at the US 80/SR 87 exit. On the southern edge of the national monument, it crosses over Walnut Creek. It then travels on a bridge over some railroad tracks of CSX and Boggy Branch. After leaving Macon, I-16 curves to the south-southeast and has an interchange with US 23/US 129 Alt./SR 87. In the interchange, the highway crosses over Swift Creek. It crosses over Stone Creek before entering Twiggs County.

Twiggs, Bleckley, and Laurens counties

I-16 curves back to the southeast and has an interchange with Sgoda Road. It crosses over Flat Creek and then has an interchange with Jeffersonville and Bullard roads. It curves to the east-southeast and crosses over Savage and Turvin creeks. It then curves back to the southeast. The highway has an interchange with SR 96. Almost immediately, it crosses over Richland Creek. It then has an interchange with SR 358. I-16 curves to the east-southeast and enters Bleckley County just before it has an interchange with SR 112 just south of Allentown. It then crosses over Rocky Creek just before entering Laurens County. The interstate curves back to the southeast and crosses under SR 278 before it travels south of Montrose. It crosses over Bay Branch just before an interchange with SR 26. It then enters the southwestern part of Dudley. There, it has an interchange with SR 338. I-16 curves back to the east-southeast and crosses over Little Rocky Creek just before a rest area. Just to the west-northwest of a crossing of Turkey Creek, the westbound lanes have a rest area. On the southwestern edge of Dublin, the highway has an interchange with SR 257. On the southern edge of the city are interchanges with US 319/US 441/SR 31. and SR 19. It then crosses over the Oconee River. It has an interchange with SR 199 just before a crossing of Pughes Creek. Southeast of that is a crossing of Red Hill Creek. Just south of Rockledge, the highway crosses over Mercer Creek. On the eastern edge of the Creek, it enters Treutlen County.

Treutlen County

I-16 curves to the east-northeast and crosses over some railroad tracks of CSX before an interchange with SR 29. It immediately curves back to the east-southeast. It crosses over Red Bluff Creek. Then is an interchange with SR 15/SR 78. The highway travels south of Sand Hill Lake before curving to the east-northeast. It crosses over Pendleton Creek and travels under a bridge that carries SR 86. Then, it begins to curve to the southeast. It has an interchange with US 221/SR 56. It crosses over Reedy Creek and curves to the east-southeast. It has an interchange with SR 297. At the overpass for SR 297, the highway enters Emanuel County.

Emanuel County

After the SR 297 interchange, I-16 heads more to the southeast. It curves to a nearly due east direction and crosses over the Ohoopee River. Just after crossing over some railroad tracks of Norfolk Southern Railway, it enters the city limits of Oak Park. It curves to the southeast and has an interchange with US 1/SR 4/SR 46. After this interchange, the highway begins to parallel SR 46. It curves to the east-southeast and crosses over Jacks Creek. Then, it enters Candler County.

Candler County

I-16 has an interchange with SR 57. It crosses over Wolfe Creek and then heads to the east-northeast. It crosses over the Canoochee River and curves to a nearly due east direction. It crosses over Sams Creek before entering Metter. As soon as it enters Metter, it passes the Metter Municipal Airport. Right after the airport is an interchange with SR 23/SR 121. On the southeastern edge of Metter, I-16 travels under a bridge that carries SR 129. It crosses over 15 Mile Creek and then curves to the southeast. It crosses over Tenmile Creek and has an interchange with Pulaski–Excelsior Road just before entering Bulloch County.

Bulloch County

The Interstate curves to the east-southeast and has an interchange with US 25/US 301/SR 73. Then, it crosses over Lotts and Little Lotts creeks. It then travels northeast of Nevils. It briefly curves to the east-southeast, where it has an interchange with SR 67, and then curves back to the southeast. It crosses over DeLoach Branch and then curves to the east-southeast. It crosses over Luke Branch and then Boggy Branch before curving to a nearly due east direction. It has an interchange with Ash Branch Church Road. After a crossing of Ash Branch, the highway curves to the east-southeast. It has an interchange with SR 119 just before entering Bryan County.

Bryan, Effingham, and Chatham counties

Almost immediately, the highway crosses over Black Creek. It then curves to the southeast and has an interchange with US 280/SR 30 southwest of Blitchton. It crosses over some railroad tracks of CSX and then crosses over the Ogeechee River, which marks the Effingham County line. It has an interchange with Old River Road south of Meldrim and then enters Chatham County. The first city in the county that I-16 enters is Bloomingdale. There, it has an interchange with SR 17. It crosses over the Little Ogeechee River. It very briefly travels along the Bloomingdale–Pooler city line before entering Pooler proper. It has an interchange with Pooler Parkway. It crosses over the Savannah–Ogeechee Canal just before an interchange with I-95. Here, I-16 begins traveling along the southern edge of the city limits of Pooler. Right after the I-95 interchange, the highway crosses over the Hardin Canal. At an interchange with SR 307, I-16 begins traveling along the Savannah–Garden City line. It briefly enters the city limits of Savannah before traveling along the Savannah–Garden City line again. It has an interchange with the Chatham Parkway. It then re-enters Savannah and curves to the east-southeast. It crosses over some railroad tracks of CSX just before an interchange with I-516/US 17/US 80/SR 21/SR 25/SR 26. Here, US 17 begins a concurrency with I-16. It crosses over the Springfield Canal just before a partial interchange with SR 204. This interchange is only accessible from the eastbound lanes. I-16/US 17 curves to the northeast. At the next interchange, US 17 splits off, where SR 404 Spur begins. This interchange also provides access to Gwinnett Street. The highway has an interchange with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The westbound access for this highway is at the eastern terminus. I-16 curves to the north-northeast and reaches its eastern terminus, an interchange with Montgomery Street in downtown Savannah.

Miscellaneous notes

I-16 serves as a hurricane evacuation route for Savannah and other coastal areas. The road is designed for contraflow travel with railroad-type gates to block most entrance and exit ramps for the normally eastbound lanes. During hurricane evacuation, I-16 is converted into westbound traffic from Savannah to west of US 441 in Dublin, a total of 125 miles.
I-16's only two rest areas are between exits 42 and 49 near Dudley.
All of I-16 is included as part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense.

History

The first part of I-16 opened October 11, 1966 to traffic between US 319 in Dublin to SR 29 near Rockledge. In 1968, the segment between US 280 to downtown Savannah was completed and opened. By the early 1970s, I-16 was completed from downtown Macon at I-75 to Jeffersonville Road near Danville. It was also extended from Dublin to Allentown. In 1973, the connection between Macon to Dublin was completed. The last part of the I-16 opened on September 22, 1978, placing it in Emanuel, Candler, and Bulloch counties and completing the connection between downtown Macon and Savannah.
Until 2000, the state of Georgia used the sequential interchange numbering system on all of its Interstate Highways. The first exit on each highway would begin with the number "1" and increase numerically with each exit. In 2000, the Georgia Department of Transportation switched to a mileage-based exit system, in which the exit number corresponded to the nearest milepost.
In 2001 the Georgia Legislature passed a resolution, to designate the Earl T. Shinhoster Interchange at the interchange with Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Savannah in honor of Earl Shinhoster, who was a Black civil rights activist. This interchange is located in the economic and cultural center for Black Savannah.
In 2003, the Georgia Legislature passed a resolution to designate I-16 in honor of James L. Gillis, Sr., a Democrat who served as a State Representative, State Senator and Director of the Georgia Department of Transportation, as the Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway. Gillis' sons, Hugh and James, Jr., also served as Democratic state legislators. Hugh was a Representative from 1941 to 1953 and a State Senator from 1953 to 1955 and from 1963 to 2005. James, Jr. was a State Senator from 1945 to 1946.
In 1999, Hurricane Floyd hit Georgia's coast. As a result, the eastbound I-16 lanes from Savannah to US 1 were opened to westbound traffic. This marked the first time I-16 was turned into a one-way interstate. This contraflow traffic method has been used since, including in 2016 in evacuation efforts from Hurricane Matthew and 2017 for Hurricane Irma.

Future

I-95 interchange

Due to high congestion during rush hour in Savannah and many deadly car accidents, the Georgia Department of Transportation has undertaken a new construction project at the interchange of I-95 and I-16, along with other I-16 improvements. The project includes:
The project, upon completion, is expected to result in a 32% decrease in I-16 congestion by 2030. Despite concerns from residents, no new noise barriers will be built along I-16 during the construction. A noise study concluded that barriers would not be necessary since traffic noise were not predicted to be over 66 dB.
The project is expected to cost around $295 million. Construction, which will be completed by Savannah Mobility Contractors JV, will begin in the second half of 2019 and will be completed in 2022.

I-75 interchange

The interchange of I-75 and I-16 is undergoing construction, split into six phases, with the first three phrases set to be completed by the end of 2021:
Three additional phases are included in the project:
Also as a part of this project, GDOT has spent $12 million dollars in the Pleasant Hill neighborhood to help mitigate the effect of the construction and new highway ramps. The construction, which was completed in Summer of 2018, included the creation of two new parks and the transformation of Penniman House, the childhood home of Little Richard, into a community resource center.

Effect of construction on Port of Savannah traffic

According to GDOT, with the expansion of I-16 at its interchanges with I-75, I-95, and I-516, the estimated increase in Gross State Product would be $9,100,000,000 at a cost of $1,950,000,000. In addition, employment would increase annually by 2,426, and the Return on Investment would be 4.7.

Exit list

Auxiliary routes

Spur route

State Route 404 Spur is a spur route that travels from I-16 exit 166 northward along US 17 to the South Carolina state line. As its number suggests, it is a spur from SR 404, the unsigned route that is designated along the full length of I-16. However, SR 404 Spur is actually a signed highway. Near the northern end is the Talmadge Memorial Bridge.

Interstate 516

Interstate 516 is a auxiliary route from Garden City to DeRenne Avenue in Savannah, Georgia. It is also known as W.F. Lynes Parkway, and has an unsigned designation of State Route 421.