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Interstate 16 Eastbound - Chatham County

Interstate 16 East
Interstate 16 leaves Effingham County and enters Chatham County. Home to 238,518 as of the 2004 estimate by the U.S. Census. 127,573 residents, as of the 2003 estimate by the U.S. Census, live in the county seat of Savannah. Chatham County was founded in 1758 by the merging of Christ Church Parish and part of St. Phillip's Parish. The third oldest county in Georgia derives its name from England's most celebrated prime ministers, William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham.1 Photo taken 05/29/05.
Interstate 16 approaches the Exit 152 diamond interchange with Georgia 17 (Bloomingdale Cross Road) and Little Neck Road at the city of Bloomingdale (pop. 2,665). Bloomingdale incorporated in 1974. It's downtown resides at the U.S. 80 & Georgia 26 junction with Georgia 17 (Cherry Street) three miles to the north. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Georgia 17 begins its northern journey at the junction with Interstate 16. The state highway meanders northwest from Bloomingdale all the way to Toccoa in northeast Georgia. Little Neck Road stems south from Bloomingdale Cross Road (Georgia 17) to U.S. 17 & Georgia 25 (Coastal Highway) near Georgetown. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Mileage sign situated along Interstate 16 eastbound between Georgia 17 (Exit 152) and Pooler Parkway (Exit 155). The sign references Interstate 95 (Exit 157) in lieu of Pooler Parkway likely because Pooler Parkway was only completed by 2004. Photo taken 05/29/05.
A diamond interchange joins Interstate 16 with Pooler Parkway, a county constructed facility looping north from Quacco Road to Savannah International Airport. Pooler Parkway constitutes a multi-lane divided highway through the city of Pooler with direct connections to U.S. 80 & Georgia 26 (Louisville Road) and the terminal of Savannah International Airport. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Two miles west of the full-cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 95 (Exits 157A/B) on Interstate 16 east. Interstate 95 avoids the city of Savannah and skims the western reaches of the metropolitan area through Pooler. East Coast's Main Street travels through rural environs throughout most of its journey between Jacksonville, Florida to Petersburg, Virginia. The 112-mile journey through the Peach State is no exception. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Drawing to within one half mile of the Exit 157A off-ramp to Interstate 95 southbound on Interstate 16 east. Interstate 95 ventures 63 miles south to Brunswick and 120 miles to Jacksonville, Florida. The freeway parallels the U.S. 17 corridor from Beaufort County, South Carolina to Orange Park, Florida. Photo taken 05/29/05.

Exit 157B provides a second route to Savannah International Airport via Interstate 95 northbound. Interstate 95 heads five miles north to Airways Avenue (Exit 104), the gateway to the airport terminal. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Interstate 16 is formally known as the Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway between Interstate 95 and the eastern terminus.2 Gillis was a former Georgia Department of Transportation director. Photo taken 05/29/05.
The cloverleaf interchange between Interstate 16 and 95 has remained vastly undeveloped through its history. However development is underway or planned in all four quadrants of the junction.3 Interstate 95 travels five miles south to junction Georgia 204 (Abercorn Street Extension) and nine miles to Richmond Hill in Bryan County. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Traffic to Interstate 95 northbound departs Interstate 16 east at Exit 157B. Interstate 95 sees four more Chatham County exits before crossing the Savannah River into South Carolina. Florence, South Carolina lies 172 miles to the northeast. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Continuing east, Interstate 95 next approaches Georgia 307 (Dean Forest Road). Georgia 307 represents a north-south highway between U.S. 17 & Georgia 25 (Coastal Highway) and Georgia 25 (Main Street) at Garden City. The state highway used to serve the main terminal of Savannah International Airport. 1990s expansion of the airport however resulted in a new terminal off Airways Avenue with the old terminal becoming the home to the Airport Business Center. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Use Georgia 307 (Dean Forest Road) north for the Georgia Ports Authority. The state highway heads east from the airport to junction Georgia 21 (Preston Edwards Highway) and Garden City. The authority offices reside at the Georgia 307 intersection with Georgia 25 (Main Street) nearby. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Interstate 16 eastbound at the Exit 160 ramp departure to Georgia 307 (Dean Forest Road). Georgia 307 heads 1.8 miles north to junction U.S. 80 & Georgia 26 (Louisville Road) along the Pooler and Garden City line. Southward the state highway continues 2.4 miles to U.S. 17 & Georgia 25 near Silk Hope. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Six miles separate Interstate 16 eastbound from both downtown Garden City (via Interstate 516 west) and downtown Savannah after Exit 160. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Next in line for eastbound travelers is the partial-cloverleaf interchange with Chatham Parkway (Exit 162). Chatham Parkway represents a north-south divided highway between Garrard Avenue and U.S. 80 & Georgia 26 (Louisville Road). Photo taken 05/29/05.
The two-mile guide sign for the Exit 164A/B junction with Interstate 516, U.S. 17-80, and Georgia 21-25 lies ahead of the Chatham Parkway interchange. Interstate 516 follows the W.F. Lynes Parkway between Hunter Army Airfield and Garden City. The freeway provides a bypass route for north-south traffic. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Exit 162 leaves Interstate 16 eastbound for Chatham Parkway. Chatham Parkway serves business and industrial parks on its curved routing between Veterans Parkway and U.S. 80. The route was planned as a Georgia 167 originally. This is why guide signs for the exit include a space for a highway shield. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Eastbound reassurance marker posted alongside Chatham Center Drive between Exits 162 and 164. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Interstate 16 passes over the CSX Savannah Yard on the approach to junction Interstate 516, U.S. 17-80, and Georgia 21-25 (Exits 164A/B). Departing first is the eastbound ramp for Interstate 516 for Hunter Army Airfield and Southside Savannah. U.S. 17 south enters the scene from Interstate 16 westbound and takes Interstate 516 west to Ogeechee Road. U.S. 80 follows Interstate 516 between Augusta Avenue (Exit 7A) and Ogeechee Road (Exit 3) as well. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Exit 164A departs Interstate 16 east for Interstate 516 & U.S. 80 east and U.S. 17 and Georgia 21-25 south. Interstate 516 curves southeast at Liberty City to DeRenne Avenue (Georgia 21) at Montgomery Street. U.S. 17 & Georgia 25 south follow Ogeechee Road / Coastal Highway southwest from Exit 3 to Silk Hope and Richmond Hill. U.S. 80 & Georgia 26 east follow Victory Drive through midtown Savannah to Thunderbolt and Tybee Island from Exit 3. Photo taken 05/29/05.
The westbound off-ramp serves Interstate 516 & U.S. 80 and Georgia 21-25 north to Garden City. The four highways share pavement through to Exit 7A where U.S. 80 departs for Augusta Avenue, Bay Street, and Burnsed Avenue. Georgia 21 and 25 follow individual paths from the freeway end to Port Wentworth. Photo taken 05/29/05.
U.S. 17 northbound joins Interstate 16 eastbound from Interstate 516 to Exit 166. The tandem continue one half mile east to the 37th Street connector (Exit 165). The connector consists of high-speed ramps to Georgia 204 (37th Street) and midtown Savannah. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Use Georgia 204 (37th Street) south from Interstate 16 & U.S. 17 across town for the campus of Savannah State University. The college lies east of the Truman Parkway and south of Victory Drive (U.S. 80 & Georgia 26). Photo taken 05/29/05.
Interstate 16 essentially splits into three components for interests to central Savannah. Exit 165 consists of the southbound beginning of Georgia 204, the main north-south arterial from midtown to Southside Savannah. Exit 166 provides connections to Gwinnett Street and Louisville Road from the Eugene Talmadge Bridge approach on U.S. 17 & Georgia 404 Spur north. Exit 167, the Interstate 16 terminus, defaults onto Montgomery Street northbound ahead of Liberty Street. Photo taken 05/29/05.
A two-lane off-ramp departs Interstate 16 east & U.S. 17 north for Georgia 204 (37th Street) southbound. Georgia 204 turns south onto Abercorn Street in 1.3 miles. Abercorn Street represents the main commercial strip through suburban Savannah. Photo taken 05/29/05.
A pair of signs tout the Exit 166 connections to Hutchinson Island, Gwinnett Street, Louisville Road, and Charleston, South Carolina on Interstate 16 east & U.S. 17 north at the 37th Street connector westbound on-ramp. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Exit 166 is merely the continuation of U.S. 17 northbound from Interstate 16 onto the Talmadge Bridge south approach. The Talmadge Bridge constitutes a cable-stayed bridge across the Front River between Savannah and Hutchinson Island. The span opened in 1992 to replace a lower two-lane cantilever bridge by the same name. The old bridge was replaced due to shipping accidents associated with the low clearance. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Exit 166 branches northward from Interstate 16 for the beginning of Georgia 404 Spur and continuation of U.S. 17 north. Georgia 404 Spur emerges as a branch of Georgia 404, the hidden state highway of Interstate 16. The Talmadge Bridge approach comprises a freeway otherwise with ramps to Gwinnett Street and Louisville Road. Photo taken 05/29/05.
The Gwinnett Street off-ramp departs U.S. 17 & Georgia 404 Spur northbound just beyond the split with Interstate 16 east. Gwinnett Street travels east-west from Forsyth Park to West Savannah. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Beyond the partial "Y" interchange with U.S. 17 & Georgia 404 Spur on Interstate 16 east, a small guide sign indicates the Exit 167A connection to Martin Luther Jr. Boulevard southbound. Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island represent control points along U.S. 80 east of Savannah and Thunderbolt. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Use Exits 167A/B for the downtown Savannah area attractions of the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum and Telfair Museum of Art. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Interstate 16 eastbound at the Exit 167A ramp departure onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard southbound. MLK Boulevard and Montgomery Street act as a one-way through-route couplet between U.S. 80 & Georgia 26 (Victory Drive) and Georgia 25 Connector (Bay Street). Traffic otherwise defaults onto the Exit 167B ending of Interstate 16 at Montgomery Street north two blocks south of the Savannah Civic Center. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Interstate 16 ends on the edge of the Savannah central business district at Montgomery Street north ahead of Liberty Street. Downtown Savannah is home to Savannah College of Art and Design. Photo taken 05/29/05.
Interstate 16 ends shield assembly posted ahead of the left-hand merge onto Montgomery Street northbound. Use Montgomery Street north to Bay Street for the historic Savannah river front. Downtown Savannah and the river front are home to the largest St. Patrick's Day festival in America. Photo taken 05/29/05.

Sources:

  1. georgia.gov - City of Bloomingdale.
  2. House Resolution 88, GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA.
  3. Economic Development History of Interstate 16 in Georgia - Economic Development - FHWA.

Page Updated January 23, 2006.