GDOT withdraws controversial Highway 80 redesign on Tybee Island

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - A controversial plan to redesign Highway 80 on Tybee Island is now off the table after the Georgia Department of Transportation said it is withdrawing the project.

The proposed plan, priced at nearly $10 million, would have reshaped U.S. 80 on Tybee with a new road design aimed at safety. The project would have started near the Lazaretto Creek Bridge and ended at Tybrisa Street.

Proposed changes drew opposition

The redesign included a single travel lane in areas and angled parking that would have required drivers to back out into traffic. It drew strong reaction from residents at public meetings last year, where roughly 70 percent of people who spoke were against it.

In a letter to the public, GDOT said that after a Tybee City Council resolution in January, it has decided to pull the project.

Tybee Island resident Brittney Tucker said the decision is better for everyone.

“Driving around in the summer time, traffic is already heavy as it is, and if you cut everything down to one lane, it makes it even harder for the businesses that drive for a living,” Tucker said. “If you have people that are constantly trying to back up, and there’s already traffic, there’s nowhere for them to go.”

Safety concerns remain

Mayor Brian West said the original push for change came from a real safety concern, especially at crosswalks where lights flash.

“New people who come to town don’t really notice the flashing yellow lights on the outside edges, and so they don’t stop for people that are crossing the road,” West said. “We’ve had injuries in those crosswalks.”

Tucker agreed the problem needs to be addressed.

“We do have the nice flashing lights, the city put in the flags that kids when they’re crossing the street, so that has helped a little bit, but a lot of people don’t understand when the lights are flashing that they need to stop,” Tucker said.

GDOT said it will still work with Tybee on safety improvements along Highway 80, even without the full redesign project.

“So we’ll be talking with the new designer on safety improvements for the crosswalks, so hopefully we’ll have a safer summer out here for the crosswalks,” West said.