SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – People working near a new port truck connector road said they are ready for it to open. <\/p>\n
The Georgia Department of Transportation announced it would open the Brampton Road Connector on Wednesday, July 15, after previously reporting it would open in August.<\/p>\n
Georgia Ports Authority leadership said it will give truck drivers faster access to the Port of Savannah and a more streamlined route to inland markets.<\/p>\n
For those working and living near the construction near I-516, it\u2019s been a disruption to daily routines.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing here into work, I always have to make a left or turn here, and sometimes it\u2019s a little hard,\u201d said Emily Ceron, who works at Pupuseria Jireh. \u201cIt\u2019s a really good idea, honestly, because that way we\u2019ll avoid some traffic, at least from the truck drivers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony McLane, who works at Low Country Discount Appliances, said, \u201cTo us, it looked like it could have been done a little shorter, but we\u2019re not construction. We don\u2019t have weather delays in our business, ya know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite some frustrations, both said they understand why the project matters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is one of the biggest ports on the East Coast, so because of that, there\u2019s going to be that kind of truck traffic,\u201d McLane said. \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t have food to eat or clothes on our backs if it weren\u2019t for these truckers, so there\u2019s a trade-off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ceron said many of her restaurant\u2019s customers are truck drivers, and she hopes the new road makes their stops easier.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully they\u2019ll still be able to swing by here and make it a little easier for them to do a little quick pit-stop, then pick up their food, and then be on their way,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
BRAMPTON ROAD PREVIOUS COVERAGE<\/p>\n
Preliminary engineering<\/a> for the Brampton Road Connector began about 20 years ago. The $126 million GDOT project is the final piece of a $600 million investment over 12 years to establish a cargo beltway in Savannah, including:<\/p>\n Reconstructing the\u00a0I-16\/I-95 interchange and widening I-16<\/a>, a $295 million project improving the safety and flow of commuters and cargo moving on and off each interstate.Jimmy Deloach Parkway, a $129 million, limited-access truck route linking Garden City Terminal with Interstates 16 and 95.Highway 307 overpass, a $22.5 million project carrying vehicular traffic over the Port of Savannah\u2019s Mason Mega Rail Terminal and allowing for the free flow of trucks and trains.Grange Road upgrade, a $14.2 million project providing better truck access between Jimmy Deloach Parkway and Garden City Terminal.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to thank our partners at the Georgia DOT for their important work creating freight corridors that improve local communities and safer traffic flow for the future,\u201d said Georgia Ports CEO Griff Lynch on Tuesday\u2019s press release<\/a>. \u201cOur trucking community will also achieve faster turntimes at the port with safer routings inland, benefiting Savannah supply chain speeds.\u201d<\/p>\n