The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) will host a virtual Public Information Open House (PIOH) on December 9, 2022, with open comment period until January 31, 2023, to give the public an opportunity to review informational materials and submit feedback on the proposed State Route (SR) 25 at Darien River Bridge Replacement Project (PI No. 0013599) in McIntosh County. All informational materials are available on the project website: https://bit.ly/GDOT-DarienBridge.
Georgia DOT will host an in-person PIOH on January 12, 2023, from 4-6 p.m. at Darien City Hall (106 Washington St., Darien, GA 31305). This in-person meeting will allow community members an opportunity to review the same materials presented in the virtual PIOH, including the project’s conceptual design, and ask questions of designated subject-matter experts in attendance. There will be no formal presentation.
Based on community concerns in early 2022, Georgia DOT altered the draft design concept for the proposed project to build the new bridge in phases and maintain traffic during construction. A potential short-term detour of approximately 30 days could occur.
The proposed project builds a new bridge that meets current design standards, adds an 8-foot raised shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians, and installs a community-requested platform for the annual Blessing of the Fleet, a maritime tradition in Darien since 1968.
“The proposed new bridge will provide a number of benefits to those who live in and visit the city of Darien,” said Ron Nelson, Georgia DOT Design-Build project manager. “We’ve made project enhancements based on ongoing stakeholder feedback. Now as we move forward with this PIOH and open comment period, we encourage members of the community to visit the project website to review materials or attend the in-person open house and submit feedback on any aspect of the project.”
Public comments will be accepted until January 31, 2023, by:
- Submitting online comments in the comment section of the project website.
- Emailing comments to P3Division@dot.ga.gov.
- Calling the project hotline at 404-631-1733 to leave a message with comments.
- Mailing written comments to the following address:
Georgia Department of Transportation
Attention: Eric Duff, State Environmental Administrator
600 West Peachtree St., NW – 16th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30308
Printed project displays and comment cards will also be available from January 12 to January 31, 2023, at the Georgia DOT District 5 Area 3 Office (128 Public Safety Blvd., Brunswick, GA 31525).
To learn more about the proposed project and provide input, visit https://bit.ly/GDOT-DarienBridge
