YEA 2021 – I-95 Belfast Keller Interchange

Thomas & Hutton

Project Location: Bryan County, GA

Category: Transportation + Infrastructure

Started: January 1, 2019

Completed: January 22, 2021

Project Budget: $19,359,843

Project Cost: $19,980,000

Project Leadership Team:

• Glenn Durrence, PE – Thomas & Hutton Transportation Department Manager
• Doyle Kelley, Jr., PE – Thomas & Hutton Principal/Project Manager
• Donnie Williams – Transportation Project Manager

Project Overview: The I-95 Belfast Keller Road Interchange project in Bryan County establishes a new gateway to South Bryan County, opening the door to economic development, residential housing, and industrial growth in the area.  This new route both relieves congestion throughout Richmond Hill and Bryan County and provides a more efficient access to Savannah and inland Georgia.  At the Belfast Keller Road Interchange, Thomas & Hutton’s innovative design represents the first of its kind in Coastal Georgia, featuring single-lane roundabouts at the ramp termini.  The decision to employ this innovative design was based on a cost and risk evaluation, determining that this design would involve less risk for drivers.  Thomas & Hutton served as the lead designer for the project, overseeing concept development, database development, environmental documentation, preliminary design, right-of-way development, and final design for the I-95 Belfast Keller Road Interchange.  The overall project included the removal of the existing overpass and the design of a new bridge, interchange, and single-lane roundabouts.  Thomas & Hutton’s team conducted traffic studies to determine the needed improvements to meet projected traffic volumes.  In addition, the team also conducted a drainage study and survey and coordinated with their internal landscape architecture services to preserve the roadside environment.

Impact(s): Experts predict that the population of Bryan County is going to double within the decade, making this project urgently needed. The new route reduces travel time to places such as Georgia Ports Authority’s Port of Savannah, which is the largest single-terminal container facility in North America.  In addition to alleviating traffic congestion, this project will also stimulate further economic development and create an additional hurricane evaluation route.  The project also provides enhanced safety and connectivity to residents and business owners in the community, giving first responders more direct access to those in South Bryan County in the event of an emergency.

Highlights:

• Single-lane roundabouts at ramp termini
• Creates an additional hurricane evacuation route
• Traffic and environmental studies