Preliminary Case Report Georgia Department of Transportation Project BRF-142-1 (1), Glynn County, Georgia

Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Project BRF-142-1(1) is the proposed widening of Torras Causeway in Glynn County to provide four twelve-foot lanes with ten-foot rural shoulders. The Causeway is currently the only surface transportation facility between St. Simons Island and the mainland. Included in the project is the widening or replacement of the existing bridges over Terry Creek, the Back, Little, Mackay and Frederica Rivers and requires the relocation of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from the Frederica River to the Mackay River. In addition, Demere Road on St. Simons Island will be widened from the touchdown point of the Causeway to its intersection with Sea Island Road (Figure 1). Two build alternatives are currently under consideration by the Department (Figure 2). As proposed Alternates B and B-1 differ only in the location of construction activities on new location at the Frederica River. The project then, consists of widening to the south the existing bridge over Terry Creek and includes three alternates at the Back River. The preferred alternate at this location is the removal of the existing lift span, replacing it with a fixed span and widening to the south of the present facility. The second alternate under consideration for the Back River calls for replacing the existing bridge with a 35-foot vertical clearance structure on the south side of the existing facility. A third alternate at this location would require that the existing Back River bridge be replaced to the south of that structure with a 65-foot vertical clearance bridge. The existing bridge over the Little River would be widened to the south and that over the Mackay River would be replaced with a 65-foot vertical clearance structure north of the existing facility. Two alternate bridge heights are proposed for the Frederica River location. The preferred alternate would replace the existing lift span section with a fixed span and add two lanes on the south side of the existing structure. The other alternate being considered at this location calls for the construction of a 26-foot vertical clearance bridge on new location south of the existing structure. Should Alternate B-1 be selected for implementation the Frederica River bridge would be either widened or replaced to the north of the existing facility.