Chatham county makes progress to calm rail traffic; GDOT says problem could get worse first

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Chatham County is moving forward with a plan to build a bridge over one of its most trafficked railroad crossings on Presidents Street, as rail traffic continues to affect drivers across the region.

The county has the second most railroad crossings in the state, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. GDOT has listed 39 of the state’s worst crossings for traffic, with Garden City and Savannah tied for the most with five each.

‘This has been an issue since I’ve been alive’

Garden City District 3 Alderwoman Natalyn Morris said the problem is longstanding.

“This has been an issue since I’ve been alive and then some,” Morris said.

Morris said the unpredictability of train schedules compounds the frustration for drivers.

“The train comes 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, you just don’t know when,” she said.

Presidents Street bridge moves from concept to plan

Presidents Street Railroad Project Manager Deana Brooks said she has heard from residents about the real-world impact of the delays.

“If I’m late for work one more time I’m going to lose my job,” Brooks said, recounting one complaint. She also described another: “They stayed downtown and they were getting married on Tybee and they were late for their wedding.”

Brooks gave an optimistic completion estimate of 2032 for the Presidents Street bridge. Their next step is to bring in somebody to finalize designs.

Rail traffic expected to increase

The problem extends west of Savannah as well. GDOT says it expects rail traffic to increase in the coming years due to growth at the Port of Savannah. One crossing directly linked to the port runs through Morris’s district on a busy road.

Morris said she is pushing for a solution in her area after the Presidents Street construction.

“The quicker we can get an overpass here on Highway 21 like they’re getting on President’s Street, everybody would be very happy,” Morris said.

That plan, however, could take decades more.

“The only thing I can tell the people is that ‘hey, we’re working on it,’” Morris said.

Resident complaints driving grant funding

The volume of complaints has helped the county secure grant funding. The latest grant totaled approximately $7.5 million.

Brooks said resident accounts have been central to those applications.

“It’s really being able to translate that in writing, you don’t have the same visceral reaction of sitting there waiting for the railroad to go and so being able to include those anecdotes,” Brooks said.