Islands Expressway Bridge project delayed, contractors fined

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Construction on the Islands Expressway Bridge project is delayed, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).

The project began in 2018 with the replacement of the drawbridges connecting Savannah to Whitemarsh Island, followed by a second phase that includes the construction of an additional bridge.

The District Communications Officer for GDOT, Jill Nagel, told News 3 that the original March 31, 2024, completion date will now be delayed for over another year.

As a result, the private contracting company, Prince Contracting, now faces fines upwards of $5k per day of extra work.

Nagel sent News 3 the following statement from GDOT:

“Since the work is incomplete, effective April 1, 2024, liquidated damages in the amount of $5,089.00 per calendar day are being assessed against contractor earnings until the Contract is complete or until an agreement to add time to the Contract brings the project into satisfactory status.”

Some people who use the expressway often, such as Wilmington Island resident Robert Callaway, said that they are frustrated with the delay.

“That bridge has been kind of a hassle for a long time,” Callaway said. “I feel for a lot of us island residents, from the construction slowing us down, to the bumps, to the problems with construction, I feel like it should have been better managed from the get-go.”

Callaway uses the Expressway daily for his job in real estate. He said that his biggest qualm is dealing with the bumps, which he said are dangerous.

“I already had to scrape off the undercarriage of my car because the car that I have is a Mercedes, and it has a liner that goes underneath it, and it scraped off my whole liner from the undercarriage of my car,” Callaway said.

Nagel says Prince Contracting crews are still working on construction for the twin bridge while finishing up the removal of the drawbridges.

She also sent us this statement on behalf of GDOT:

“We have met our challenges on the Island Expressway Bridges replacement project. Through all these challenges, we have kept traffic moving through the project, and the opening of the new bridge has improved mobility in this area. Maritime traffic no longer impedes traffic flow on the new bridges.”

Nagel said the project is expected to be complete in the summer of 2025.