The Georgia Department of Transportation is asking coastal residents to weigh in on a proposal to widen Interstate 95 by one lane in each direction between Richmond Hill and the Savannah River, a busy stretch that carries a heavy mix of trucks and commuters. The agency has opened a virtual Public Information Open House, along with a formal comment window that runs through March 27, 2026, for a project it says is aimed at easing congestion and freight bottlenecks along the corridor.
Project scope and where it would run
According to the Georgia DOT, the I-95 widening study (P.I. 0020169) would add one travel lane in each direction from State Route 144/Ford Avenue (Exit 90) north to the Savannah River at the Georgia–South Carolina line, and the agency has posted maps and display materials on its ArcGIS site. Regional planning documentation labels the corridor a major widening candidate and shows the project running through portions of Bryan, Chatham and Effingham counties, with concept development and environmental review already under way, according to CORE MPO. The MPO materials also identify Atkins North America as the design consultant and list “concept approval” as the next key milestone.
Traffic, safety and the case for extra capacity
GDOT's public handouts, which are summarized in local coverage, highlight the kind of traffic that has state officials talking about extra pavement. As reported by WTOC, the agency's PIOH materials cite roughly 90,800 vehicles per day on this segment of I-95, with about 26.5% of that volume made up of trucks, and more than 2,300 crashes on the corridor from 2020 through 2024. Local reporting also points to a preliminary project cost in the low hundreds of millions, with the PIOH summary listing an early estimate of roughly $101.6 million, a figure officials note will evolve as design and environmental work continue.
Growth, ports and the Hyundai effect
Planners frame the widening as part of a broader attempt to stay ahead of rapid growth tied to port traffic and large-scale industrial investment along the coast. The Hyundai Motor Group's Bryan County Metaplant and other industrial projects have already reshaped travel patterns in the area, according to reporting by The Associated Press. Regional planning briefs and local coverage, including reporting by The Current, note that Bryan and Effingham counties have logged significant population and commercial growth in recent years, which in turn has increased pressure on key evacuation routes and commuter arteries like I-95.
How to weigh in
Project maps and materials are posted on GDOT's public meetings pages and the project's ArcGIS hub, and the formal comment period runs through March 27, 2026, according to The Georgia Sun and local notices. Written statements may be mailed to Ms. Amber Phillips, State Environmental Administrator, Georgia Department of Transportation, 600 West Peachtree Street NW, 16th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30308, as outlined in the project's public materials. Those submissions will become part of the official project record and will be reviewed before the study moves into later planning stages.
What's next
After the comment window closes, project staff will fold public feedback into the ongoing environmental review and concept development. Regional planning documents list “concept approval” as the next step before any right-of-way acquisition or construction phases, according to CORE MPO. The Georgia effort will also have to mesh with South Carolina's plans across the river, as the South Carolina Department of Transportation has advanced its own I-95 widening and improvements north of the Savannah River, underscoring the bi-state nature of the corridor, according to SCDOT. Design decisions and environmental findings are expected to shape both the ultimate timeline and the cost estimates before GDOT seeks any construction authorization.
