State Route 21 (SR 21) is an

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

that travels southeast-to-northwest through portions of

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

, Effingham, Screven, and

Jenkins Jenkins may refer to: People * Jenkins (name), history of the surname * List of people with surname Jenkins * The Jenkins, country music group Places United States *Jenkins, Illinois *Jenkins, Kentucky *Jenkins, Minnesota *Jenkins, Missouri *Je ...

counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. The highway connects the

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

and Millen areas, via Garden City,

Port Wentworth Port Wentworth is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. The 2020 population was 10,878, more than double the population of 5,359 at the 2010 census. Port Wentworth is part of the Savannah metropolitan area. History The Georgia Genera ...

, Rincon,

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

, and Sylvania. SR 21 formerly had its northern terminus at the

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

state line in Augusta. It traveled on the current path of US 25/ SR 121 from Millen to Augusta. In the city, it used the path of SR 28 ( Broad Street) and the Georgia segment of US 25 Bus. The highway is part of the

Savannah River Parkway The Savannah River Parkway is a four-lane divided highway that roughly parallels the Savannah River in the U.S. state of Georgia, that exists in two distinct segments. The roadway is being considered for inclusion as part of Interstate 3 (I ...

which is being considered for inclusion into

Interstate 3 Interstate 3 (I-3), the 3rd Infantry Division Highway, is a proposed Interstate Highway in the United States to run from Savannah, Georgia, north to Augusta, Georgia, and Knoxville, Tennessee. The roadway was proposed in the same federal highw ...

(I-3), a future Interstate Highway proposed to connect the Savannah and

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...

areas.

Route description

SR 21 begins at an

intersection In mathematics, the intersection of two or more objects is another object consisting of everything that is contained in all of the objects simultaneously. For example, in Euclidean geometry, when two lines in a plane are not parallel, their i ...

with the eastern terminus of SR 204 (Abercorn Street) in

. The highway travels to the west-northwest, becoming a

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

, and gains the designation of Interstate 516 (I-516) and the

unsigned Unsigned can refer to: * An unsigned artist is a musical artist or group not attached or signed to a record label ** Unsigned Music Awards, ceremony noting achievements of unsigned artists ** Unsigned band web, online community * Similarly, the c ...

SR 421. The highways travel concurrently to the west-northwest, then curve to the north-northeast at the interchange with Veterans Parkway. At exit 3, US 17/ SR 25 join the freeway from the southwest, and US 80/ SR 26 join the freeway from the northeast. Continuing to the north-northeast, the highways have an interchange with

I-16 I16 may refer to: * Interstate 16, an interstate highway in the U.S. state of Georgia * Polikarpov I-16, a Soviet fighter aircraft introduced in the 1930s * Halland Regiment * , a Japanese Type C submarine * i16, a name for the 16-bit signed integ ...

, at which point, US 17 departs to the east-southeast,

concurrent Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

with I-16. At exit 7, US 80/SR 26 depart to the west-northwest, and the highways turn to the west-northwest. After SR 25 departs, I-516/SR 421 ends, and SR 21 continues its northwestward route. In

, SR 30 joins the highway; north of their interchange with I-95, SR 30 departs to the west-southwest. SR 21 continues north, leaving Chatham County and entering Effingham County. The highway travels through Rincon and

, then continues northwest, through

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...

parts of the county, and continues into

Screven County Screven County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,067. The county seat is Sylvania. History The county was created on December 14, 1793, and was named for G ...

. After a brief concurrency with US 301/ SR 73 Loop around the western side of Sylvania, SR 21 continues west into Jenkins County. East of Millen, SR 21 turns to the northwest at its intersection with SR 67, then arcs to the northeast of Millen to meet its northern terminus at US 25/ SR 121.

Tom Triplett Parkway

The Tom Triplett Parkway is a section of SR 21 located in Port Wentworth on the west side of the

Savannah metropolitan area The Savannah metropolitan area is centered on the principal city of Savannah, Georgia. The official name given by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the Savannah, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is used for statistical pur ...

. It stretches from the Chatham–Effingham county line (roughly the Lake Cherie Road intersection) to the Garden City–Port Wentworth city line (roughly the SR 307 intersection). In 2000, the

Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directly ...

passed a resolutionHouse Resolution 756 - Designate Tom Triplett Parkway
, First Reader Summary, May 1, 2000 to designate this portion of SR 21 in honor of Tom Triplett, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

who served as Mayor of

and as a

State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

for 18 years. Tom Triplett died in 2006, at 71 years of age.

National Highway System

The entire length of SR 21 is part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense.

History

1920s and 1930s

SR 21 was established at least as early as 1919 on its current path from Savannah to Millen, and traveled north-northwest to end in Waynesboro. By the end of September 1921, it was extended north-northeast to Augusta, replacing a segment of SR 12. By October 1926, US 17/SR 25 was designated on the southern two-thirds of the Chatham County portion of SR 21, but there was no indication if SR 21 was truncated off this segment. In 1930, US 25 was designated on SR 21 from Millen to Augusta. About seven years later, SR 119 was designated on the path of SR 21 southeast of Springfield. At the end of the year, the 1938 GDOT map showed more detail for the highway; it was the first GDOT map that had inset maps for Savannah and Augusta. It showed that US 17/SR 21/SR 25 traveled west-northwest from Savannah on Bay Street. It also showed that US 25/SR 21 entered Augusta on Savannah Road, then began a concurrency with US 1/ US 78/ SR 4/ SR 10/SR 12 ( Milledgeville Road), traveled northeast on Twiggs Street, and curved to the north-northeast on 7th Street. At SR 28 ( Broad Street), US 1/US 78/SR 4/SR 10/SR 12 traveled east-southeast on it, while US 25/SR 21 traveled west-northwest on it. They turned to the north-northeast on

13th Street 13th Street (France: 13ème Rue, Spain: Calle 13, Hungary: Utca 13, and Poland: 13 Ulica) is a television channel specializing in action, suspense and police procedural programs and movies, mainly from the Universal Pictures and Television libr ...

to the

state line. Here, SR 21 ended, and US 25 continued to the north.

1940s and 1950s

Between the beginning of 1945 and November 1946, US 80/SR 26 was shifted onto a concurrency with US 17/SR 21/SR 25 from Savannah to southeast of Industrial City Gardens (Garden City's former name). US 17/SR 25 was shifted off of SR 21 farther to the south-southeast, in Industrial City Gardens. The entire length of SR 21 was hard surfaced. Between April 1949 and August 1950, the path of SR 119 southeast of Springfield was shifted northward, off of the concurrency with SR 21. Its former path that was not concurrent with SR 21 was redesignated as SR 275. By the beginning of 1952, SR 17 was extended on the path of US 17/US 80/SR 21/SR 25 in the Savannah area. Between June 1954 and June 1955, DeRenne Avenue in Savannah was established. A southern bypass of the main part of Augusta was built from US 78/ US 278/SR 10/SR 12 on the northeastern edge of Camp Gordon to an interchange with US 25/SR 21 and the northern terminus of SR 56. It was under construction from there east, northeast, and north-northeast to the intersection of Gwinnett Street and 5th Street. US 1/US 78/SR 4/SR 10/SR 12 split off of US 25/SR 21 just north of Gwinnett Street. Between June 1955 and July 1957, US 1/US 25/US 78/SR 4/SR 10, with US 278's then-recent extension, was rerouted onto the previous bypass, which was completed on its previous path and extended a very short distance. SR 4 and SR 21 traveled on their previous alignments.

1960s

Between July 1957 and June 1960, US 25 was rerouted in downtown Augusta. It traveled east-southeast on SR 28 (Broad Street) to the bypass of the city. Its former path was redesignated as US 25 Bus.; however, there was no indication if SR 21 ended at the 7th Street–Broad Street intersection, traveled concurrent with US 25 Bus./SR 28 (west-northwest on Broad Street), or traveled concurrent with US 25/SR 28 (east-southeast on Broad Street). By June 1963, SR 26 Loop was designated on DeRenne Avenue and proposed to travel west-northwest and then north-northeast to US 17/US 80/SR 17/SR 21/SR 26 just northwest of Savannah. The path of SR 121 was extended onto US 25/SR 21 from Millen to Augusta. By the beginning of 1966, SR 26 Loop was proposed to be extended from the La Roche Avenue intersection north-northeast to US 80/SR 26 west-northwest of Thunderbolt. Skidaway Road was established from US 80/SR 26 west-northwest of Thunderbolt south-southwest to DeRenne Avenue. SR 17 was truncated to what is now its northern intersection with US 80/SR 26/SR 30 northwest of Bloomingdale. A western bypass of Sylvania, designated as SR 73 Loop, was proposed from US 301/SR 73 south-southwest of the city to another intersection with those highways north-northwest of it. SR 121 was extended onto the bypass of downtown Augusta, which was then listed as Gordon Highway. SR 21 was indicated to travel on US 25 Bus./SR 28 (Broad Street) and split with it onto 13th Street. In 1966, SR 26 Loop was extended from Montgomery Street to Liberty Parkway and was under construction from there to Augusta Avenue. The next year, its segment from Liberty Parkway to I-16 was indicated to "open Spring '68". In 1968, this segment opened. The next year, SR 26 Loop was opened from I-16 to Augusta Avenue.

1970s

In 1970, SR 26 Loop was proposed to be extended from Augusta Avenue north-northeast and west-northwest to US 17/US 80/SR 21/SR 25/SR 26. SR 73 Loop in the Sylvania area was completed, with US 301 designated on it. The former path of US 301 through the city, on SR 73, was redesignated as US 301 Bus. In 1977, SR 26 Loop was completed on its previous proposed extension. The next year, the entire completed portion of SR 26 Loop, except for the easternmost portion between La Roche Avenue and Skidaway Road, was redesignated as a southeastern extension of SR 21. The portion between La Roche Avenue and Skidaway Road was just decommissioned. SR 21 was also designated on Skidaway Road from US 80/SR 26 west-northwest of Thunderbolt south-southwest to DeRenne Avenue and continued its previous route.

1980s

In 1981, the northern terminus of SR 21 was truncated to the main part of Millen. In 1985, the southern terminus of SR 21 was truncated to its current point at SR 204 (Abercorn Street). I-516 was designated on SR 21 from Montgomery Street in Savannah to Garden City. US 17/SR 25 was routed onto the path of I-516/SR 21 from the Ogeechee Road to the Bay Street interchanges. The former path on Bay Street was redesignated as part of US 17 Alt./ SR 25 Alt. In 1988, an unnumbered road was built from SR 21 southeast of Sylvania to US 301/SR 73 at the southern terminus of SR 73 Loop south-southwest of the city. The next year, a northeastern bypass of Millen, designated as SR 828, was proposed from SR 21 east of the city to US 25/SR 121 north-northwest of it.

1990s to present

In 1990, the unnumbered road south of Sylvania was designated as SR 829. In 1993, a western bypass of Springfield, designated as SR 863, was proposed from SR 21 south-southeast of the city to another intersection with SR 21 northwest of it. The path of SR 21 in the Sylvania area was shifted south-southwest, replacing the path of SR 829 and then routed on US 301/SR 73 Loop. Its former path was redesignated as SR 21 Bus. In 1995, the path of SR 21 in the Millen area was shifted northward, replacing the path of SR 828. The path of US 17 in Savannah, north of I-16, was shifted eastward, off of I-516/US 80/SR 21/SR 25/SR 26 and onto I-16 and SR 404 Spur. This rerouting replaced the path of US 17 Alt. In 1997, the path of SR 21 in the Springfield area was shifted westward, replacing the path of SR 863. In 2010, the path of SR 21 in the Newington area was shifted southwestward; its former path was redesignated as SR 21 Bus. On May 2, 2018, a Lockheed WC-130H transport aircraft of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard crashed and impacted SR 21, near

. A section of SR 21 at the impact site was closed immediately after the incident, and the Air National Guard has provided funds for repairs and cleanup. , traffic is diverted around the crash site to an adjacent road through a temporary

detour __NOTOC__ A detour or (British English: diversion) is a (normally temporary) route taking traffic around an area of prohibited or reduced access, such as a construction site. Standard operating procedure for many roads departments is to route an ...

, until the

Georgia Department of Transportation The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is the organization in charge of developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the U.S. state of Georgia. In addition to highways, the department also has a limited role in developin ...

finishes repairs.

Future

SR 21, as part of the

, is proposed to become part of I-3.

Major intersections

Special routes

Garden City spur route

State Route 21 Spur (SR 21 Spur) is a

spur route A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A bypass or beltway should not be considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the s ...

that exists entirely within Chatham County. Part of the highway is in the city limits of Garden City. It is known as Brampton Road for its entire length. It begins at an

with the SR 21 mainline (Augusta Road) in the northeastern part of Garden City, just northwest of the western terminus of Interstate 516 (I-516). It travels to the northeast and intersects SR 25 (Coastal Road), on the edge of the city limits. The highway continues to the northeast and reaches its eastern terminus,

Georgia Ports Authority The Georgia Ports Authority, which was founded in 1945 and chaired by US. Colonel, Inventor and Engineer Dr. Blake Van Leer, operates port facilities in the U.S. state of Georgia. Georgia's primary deepwater ports are located in Savannah and ...

's Gate #2, and the entrance to GAF Materials Corporation, on the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the norther ...

. The path of SR 21 Spur east of the intersection with SR 25 is included as part of the National Highway System, a system of roadways important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. Between July 1957 and June 1960, SR 21 Spur was established on its current path.

Port Wentworth alternate route

State Route 21 Alternate (SR 21 Alt.) is an alternate route of SR 21 that mostly exists in

. Most of its length is known as Jimmy DeLoach Connector. It begins on the northeastern edge of Garden City at an

with SR 21 (Augusta Road). It travels to the east,

with SR 307 (Bourne Avenue). The highways curve to the southeast and then split. SR 21 Alt. travels to the north and enters the

city limits City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. Similarly, corporate limi ...

of Port Wentworth. Immediately, it curves to the north-northwest. It has an interchange with Grange Road. Then, it crosses over, but does not have an interchange with, Crossgate Road. The highway then curves more to the north. After traveling on a bridge over some

railroad tracks A railway track (British English and UIC terminology) or railroad track (American English), also known as permanent way or simply track, is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, railroad ties (sleepers, ...

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...

, it crosses over, but does not have an interchange with, SR 30 (Bonnybridge Road). After crossing over

Saint Augustine Creek Saint Augustine Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is a tributary to the Savannah River. It should not be confused with the original name of the Wilmington River on Georgia's coast.SR 17 and the eastern terminus of Jimmy DeLoach Parkway. This interchange is the Sonny Dixon Interchange. Then, it heads to the west-southwest and reaches its northern terminus, an intersection with SR 21/SR 30 (Augusta Road). This intersection is actually also part of the Sonny Dixon Interchange. Between the beginning of 2008 and the beginning of 2013, the roadway that would eventually become SR 21 Alt. was proposed as SR 1234 along roughly this same path. In 2016, this roadway was completed. In May 2017, Savannah and nearby Pooler requested that the Jimmy DeLoach Connector be included into the state highway system.

Chatham County spur route

State Route 21 Spur (SR 21 Spur) was a

of SR 21 that existed in the northern part of Chatham County. Between the beginning of 1945 and November 1946, it was established from SR 21/ SR 30 north-northwest of Industrial City Gardens (the former name of Garden City) east to US 17/ SR 25 north of the city. Between July 1957 and June 1960, it was decommissioned.

Springfield business loop

State Route 21 Business (SR 21 Bus.) is a

business route A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...

of SR 21 that exists in

. Between the beginning of 1997 and the beginning of 2010, it was established on SR 21's former path, also known as Laurel Street, from SR 21 in the southeastern part of the city to the southern terminus of SR 21 Spur.

Springfield spur route

State Route 21 Spur (SR 21 Spur) is a

of SR 21 that exists entirely within the central part of Effingham County. The southern terminus of the highway is in the city limits of

. It is known as Old Tusculum Road for its entire length. It begins at an

with SR 21 Bus./ SR 119 (North Laurel Street). SR 21 Spur heads to the west-northwest. About later, it meets its northern terminus, an intersection with the SR 21 mainline. The entire length of SR 1 is part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense. Between the beginning of 1997 and the beginning of 2010, it was established from the northern terminus of SR 21 Bus. on SR 119 to SR 21 north-northwest of the city, which is the current path of the highway.

Newington business loop

State Route 21 Business (SR 21 Bus.) is a

of SR 21 that is entirely within the southeastern part of

. Most of the route is in the city limits of Newington. It is known as Savannah Highway for its entire length. It begins at an

with the SR 21 mainline just southeast of Newington. It travels to the northeast and curves to the northwest to enter the town. It intersects SR 24. It has a brief section that is outside of the city limits before curving to the east and re-entering the city limits. Immediately after, it meets its northern terminus, another intersection with the SR 21 mainline. SR 21 Bus. is not part of the National Highway System, a system of roadways important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. At least as early as 1919, the SR 21 mainline was established on this path. In 1934, this path had a "completed hard surface". In 2010, the path of SR 21 was shifted southwestward. Its former path was redesignated as SR 21 Bus.

Sylvania business loop

State Route 21 Business (SR 21 Bus.) is a

that exists entirely within the central part of

. All but the southernmost of the route travels within the

of Sylvania. It is the former alignment of SR 21 through Sylvania. It begins at an

with the SR 21 mainline, just southeast of Sylvania. It travels to the northwest and enters the city. Then, it curves to the north-northwest and intersects SR 73 (North Main Street). The two highways travel concurrently to the southwest. They intersect the southern terminus of Maple Street, which is the former SR 21 Conn. When they diverge, SR 21 travels to the northwest. The highway passes Screven County Hospital and Brantley Plaza Shopping Center. Approximately after the northern SR 73 intersection, it meets its northern terminus, an intersection with US 301/SR 21/ SR 73 Loop. SR 21 Spur is not part of the National Highway System, a system of roadways important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. At least as early as 1919, SR 21 was established on this path. In 1937, the path of SR 21 in the southern part of Sylvania had a "completed hard surface". Between the beginning of 1945 and November 1946, the path of the highway in the northern part of the city was hard surfaced. In 1988, an unnumbered road was built from SR 21 southeast of Sylvania to US 301/SR 73 at the southern terminus of SR 73 Loop south-southwest of the city. In 1990, this road south of Sylvania was designated as SR 829. In 1993, the path of SR 21 in the Sylvania area was shifted south-southwest, replacing the path of SR 829 and then routed on US 301/SR 73 Loop. Its former path was redesignated as SR 21 Bus.

Sylvania connector route

State Route 21 Connector (SR 21 Conn.) was a short

connector route A connector is a highway or freeway road that connects to another highway or freeway. It can be part of an interchange such as the MacArthur Maze or a longer roadway such as the Interstate 635. A connector route is a type of special route or su ...

of SR 21 that existed entirely within the

of Sylvania. Between the beginning of 1995 and the beginning of 2010, it was established from SR 21/ SR 73 (West Ogeechee Street) north-northwest on Maple Street and east-northeast on West W. T. Sharpe Drive to US 301 Bus./SR 73 (North Main Street). By the beginning of 2013, this highway was decommissioned.

References

External links

* {{Commons category-inline
Georgia Roads (Routes 21 - 40)

State Route 21 Alternate / Jimmy Deloach Parkway
!-- should read "Jimmy DeLoach Connector" -->
GDOT Savannah River Parkway Fact Sheet

H.R.3 - SAFETEA-LU on Congress.gov

021 021 is: * in Brazil, the telephone area code for the city of Rio de Janeiro and surrounding cities (Greater Rio de Janeiro) * in China, the telephone area code for the city of Shanghai. * in Indonesia, the area code for the city of Jakarta and su ...

Transportation in Chatham County, Georgia Transportation in Effingham County, Georgia Transportation in Screven County, Georgia Transportation in Jenkins County, Georgia Roads in Savannah, Georgia Savannah metropolitan area

Route description

Tom Triplett Parkway

National Highway System

History

1920s and 1930s

1940s and 1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s to present

Future

Major intersections

Special routes

Garden City spur route

Port Wentworth alternate route

Chatham County spur route

Springfield business loop

Springfield spur route

Newington business loop

Sylvania business loop

Sylvania connector route

See also

References

External links