By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Hwy. 21 traffic relief coming in 2025, Hitchens says
Hitchens at Eggs and Issues breakfast
State Rep. Bill Hichens was one of the featured speakers at the Eggs and Issues Breakfast earlier this month. (Submitted photo.)

Special to the Herald

RINCON – District 161 Rep. Bill Hitchens reflected on the past before training his eyes on the present and future at Effingham College & Career Academy at a breakfast event Dec. 12.

Hitchens was tasked with discussing ports and infrastructure during the annual Effingham County Chamber of Commerce function known as Eggs & Issues. The breakfast event also featured Speaker of the House Jon Burns, who represents District 159, and District 4 Sen. Billy Hickman.

“Very obviously, you all know how the ports are growing,” Hitchens said. “You drive up and down (GA Hwy 21) and you realize that we are getting and influx of trucks and people.”

Hitchens recalled that Effingham County’s population was approximately 12,000 in 1970. Currently, the county has more than 70,000 residents and many of them face daily traffic jams on Hwy 21 heading to and from work in Savannah. The Port of Savannah handles about 15,000 truck transactions on a daily basis.

Earlier this month during a Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) meeting, it was reported that Savannah and Brunswick’s ports handled nearly 500,000 20-foot container units and more than 68,000 units of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo units in October, marking the 10th straight month of growth in both categories.

The GPA expects that the streak to continue. November’s cargo totals will be reported in the next few days.

In an effort to ease the congestion, Gov. Brian Kemp and the General Assembly recently made a move to widen Ga. Hwy 21 to six lanes. Hitchens and Burns pushed for such a move for several years.

“The money is in (the state budget) this year to do the engineering study to get everything ready and next year they will secure the land,” Hitchens said.

Hitchens also mentioned the Effingham County Parkway, which is set to open in late summer 2025. The parkway, which stretches from GA Hwy 30 to Blue Jay Road, is designed to help alleviate Hwy 21 congestion and support economic development.

Hitchens explained that the State of Georgia hopes to get more trucks off the road through the use of inland ports. An inland port is a specialized intermodal facility located away from traditional coastal ports but connected to them through rail links.

Cordele and Dalton already have such facilities and one is under construction in Gainesville.