Interstate 95 (I-95), the main
Interstate Highway
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...
on the
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...
, serves the
Atlantic Coast of the
US state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. It crosses into the state from Florida at the
St. Marys River near
Kingsland and travels to the north past the cities of
Brunswick and
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 does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
to 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 at 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 nor ...
near
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 ...
. The route also passes through the cities of
Richmond Hill,
Darien, and
Woodbine. I-95 in Georgia has the
unsigned designation of State Route 405 (SR 405).
Route description
All of I-95 in Georgia has three lanes in each direction, except in the
Brunswick metropolitan area and in the area of the I-16 Intersection, where it has four lanes in each direction. From the Florida state line to west of
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 does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
, I-95 travels along the
US Route 17 (US 17) corridor, passing near or through marshlands, and is close to the Atlantic coastline.
The highway enters Georgia via twin bridges over the
St. Marys River, where it immediately enters the city of
Kingsland, intersecting
SR 40. The Interstate continues generally north-northeast, bypassing the smaller communities of
Woodbine and
Waverly en route to
Brunswick, where it intersects
US 17,
US 25, and
US 341. The freeway leaves Brunswick, bypassing the cities of
Darien and
Midway, before reaching the southern suburbs of
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 does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
. The route first encounters US 17 again, this time in
Richmond Hill, before intersecting
SR 204, a busy freeway and southern bypass into Savannah. The route then intersects with
I-16 and
US 80 in
Pooler, also providing direct access to
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is a commercial and military-use airport in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Savannah/Hilton Head International provides travelers with access to Savannah, Georgia, and Hilton Head Island, South Ca ...
via the Airways Avenue exit (exit 104). The route then reenters the city limits of Savannah and then intersects
SR 17. After that, the final exit in Georgia is in
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 ...
, where it intersects
SR 21/
SR 30 and
SR 565 (
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 ...
), the major thoroughfare between
Augusta and Savannah. I-95 leaves Georgia via twin bridges over 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 nor ...
and heads north into
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 = ...
.
The state welcome centers on both ends of I-95 are integrated with other
interchanges
Interchange may refer to:
Transport
* Interchange (road), a collection of ramps, exits, and entrances between two or more highways
* Interchange (freight rail), the transfer of freight cars between railroad companies
* Interchange station, a rai ...
. The northbound welcome center is built into the northbound offramp with exit 1, while the onramp from here runs under a bridge beneath the same offramp before leading back onto northbound I-95. The southbound welcome center can be found just after the offramp for first southbound
truck weighing center, only for both facilities to share an onramp back to southbound I-95. Other rest areas, weigh stations, and visitors centers operate independently with no access to any other facilities or destinations.
I-95 intersects I-16 near Savannah (exit 99). Ramps to and from the eastbound lanes of I-16 feature barrier gates to prevent traffic from entering I-16 in the wrong direction during
contraflow lane reversal
Contraflow lane reversal is the altering of the normal flow of traffic, typically on a controlled-access highway (such as a freeway or motorway), to either aid in an emergency evacuation (the most common usage of the term in the United States) or ...
for
hurricane evacuations.
The entire length of I-95 in Georgia 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
1960s
In 1965, I-95 was proposed from the Florida state line to
SR 251 near Darien. It was under construction from there to
SR 99 near
Crescent
A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself.
In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...
. It was proposed from there to the South Carolina state line.
In 1966, it was under construction from its southern interchange with SR 99 to just north of
SR 131 in
South Newport.
In 1967, it was under construction just north of South Newport. It was under construction from Richmond Hill to I-16 near Savannah. In 1968, it was under construction from the Florida state line to SR 40 in Kingsland. It was also under construction from its southern interchange with SR 99 to SR 251 near Darien. It was open as I-95 from SR 251 to its northern interchange with SR 99 in Eulonia. It was under construction from Eulonia to US 17/ SR 25 north of South Newport.
1970s
In 1970, the highway was under construction from the Florida state line to just southeast of Woodbine. It was also under construction from US 25/US 341/ SR 27 near Brunswick to SR 251 near Darien. It also had an under construction from Eulonia to I-16. In 1971, it was under construction from the Florida state line to northeast of White Oak
The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera ''C ...
and also between the US 17/SR 25 interchanges north of South Newport and in Richmond Hill. In 1972, it was open from the Florida state line to SR 40 in Kingsland. It was under construction from Kingsland to northeast of White Oak. It was under construction from east of Waverly to US 25/US 341/SR 27 near Brunswick. It was open from there to US 17/SR 25 north of South Newport. It was open from Richmond Hill to I-16. It was under construction from just west of the South Carolina state line to the line. In 1973, it was open from the Florida state line to southeast of Woodbine. It was under construction from there to near Brunswick and from I-16 to the South Carolina state line. In 1974, the highway was open from the Brunswick to SR 38 southeast of Midway. In 1976, it was open from the Florida state line to US 17/ US 84/SR 25/ SR 50 southeast of Brunswick. It was open from US 25/US 341/SR 27 near Brunswick to I-16. In 1977, it was open for its entire length.
After completion
In 1998, the Georgia State Senate
The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia.
Legal provisions
The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, with the lower house being the Georgia ...
passed a resolution to designate the portion of I-95 between the Ogeechee River
The Ogeechee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 26, 2011 blackwater river in the U.S. state of Georgia. It heads at the confluence of its North and South ...
( Bryan–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 ...
county line) north to the Savannah River in 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 ...
as the Tom Coleman Highway, in honor of Tom Coleman, 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 state senator from 1981 to 1995.
Until 2000, the state of Georgia used the sequential interchange numbering system on all of its Interstate Highways. The first exit on each highway would begin with the number 1 and increase numerically with each exit. In 2000, the Georgia Department of Transportation switched to a mileage-based exit system, in which the exit number corresponded to the nearest milepost.[
Construction to widen I-95 from two to three lanes started with the Chatham County segment in 1989, with the other county segments done in phases, with the project completed throughout Georgia on December 10, 2010.
]
Exit list
Business loops
Darien
Interstate 95 Business (I-95 Bus.) for Darien begins at exit 42 on I-95 and travels 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 SR 99. I-95 Bus. and SR 99 then join US 17/ SR 25 (Ocean Highway
Ocean Highway was a designation established early in the 20th century for a combination of roadways and water-crossings for motor vehicles which would generally traverse as close as possible to the Atlantic Ocean along the East Coast of the Unite ...
; Altamaha Historic Scenic Byway), and the four highways enter Darien. There, SR 99 splits off, while I-95 Bus. continues following US 17/SR 25 to an intersection with the southern terminus of SR 251 just north of Darien. Here, I-95 Bus. turns onto SR 251 and follows it until it reunites with I-95 at its northern terminus at exit 49. I-95 Bus. is only signed on I-95 at each exit (northbound at the southern terminus and southbound at the northern terminus) and is not signed on any of its constituent highways.
Brunswick
Former Interstate 95 Business (I-95 Bus.) for Brunswick used to serve Brunswick and the Golden Isles of Georgia
The Golden Isles of Georgia consist of barrier islands, and the mainland port cities of Brunswick and Darien, on the 100-mile-long coast of the U.S. state of Georgia on the Atlantic Ocean. They include St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Isl ...
between exits 29 and 38 (former exits 6 and 8). It was 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 US 17/ SR 25 but no longer exists. The highway returned to I-95 via SR 25 Spur.
See also
*
*
References
External links
*
Interstate 95 Georgia (AARoads.com)
Exitlists.com (I-95)
{{3di, 95
Georgia
95
Transportation in Camden County, Georgia
Transportation in Glynn County, Georgia
Transportation in McIntosh County, Georgia
Transportation in Liberty County, Georgia
Transportation in Bryan County, Georgia
Transportation in Chatham County, Georgia
Transportation in Effingham County, Georgia
Brunswick, Georgia
Roads in Savannah, Georgia