Community to meet on President Street railroad crossing solutions
Oct 30, 2024
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Extremely long waits for your daily commute on President Street may eventually become a thing of the past.
There is a community meeting today to address solutions to the traffic backups due to the railroad crossing.
President Street is just one of two routes off the Islands, and for the thousands of residents that use this road for their commute, answers can't come soon enough.
Some people have reported waiting almost an hour for a train to pass at the intersection of President Street and Truman Parkway.
City and county leaders have been working on a study to explore options for eliminating the railroad crossing.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg talks train traffic, local improvements
The study is looking at traffic volumes, safety conditions, costs and anticipated growth.Removing the crossing would eliminate delays and improve congestion for around 40,000 vehicles per day.
Short-term solutions are coming within five years, but long-term solutions, such as building a bridge over the crossing, could be between 10 to 15 years.
Here is a look at the current three alternatives:
Alternative 1 - Additional Westbound Lane
Construct an additional westbound lane between the Truman Parkway ramps
Extend this lane through the rail crossing and tie into the existing roadway
Long-Term Improvements (10 to 15 years)
Alternative 2 - Bridge with Truman Parkway Elevated Green-T Intersection
East President Street bridge over the railroad, return to grade east of the Truman Parkway
Six-lane East President Street typical section (three lanes each direction)
Double left-turn lanes
Truman Parkway northbound to President Street westbound
President Street westbound to Truman Parkway southbound
Continuously moving westbound thru lanes with signal control for left turns to/from Truman Parkway
Alternative 3 - Bridge with Truman Parkway Green-T Trumpet Interchange
East President Street bridge over the railroad, return to grade west of the Truman Parkway
Six-lane East President Street typical section (three lanes each direction)
Double left-turn lanes
Truman Parkway northbound to President Street eastbound
President Street eastbound to Truman Parkway southbound
Continuously moving eastbound through lanes with signal control for left turns to/from Truman Parkway
If you want to attend Wednesday's meeting and weigh in, it's happening from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at A.B. Williams Elementary School.
You'll be able to give feedback on the current proposals.
In the meantime, once all the feedback is in, another meeting is happening in February with the final results. You can also submit your opinions on an online survey here.