Interstate 16 travels 167 miles east from Interstate 75 in Macon to the Historic District of Savannah. Construction of the freeway improved the transport of goods between the I-75 corridor and Port of Savannah.1 Outside of a six-lane stretch in Macon, the freeway carries four overall lanes.

Interstate 16 Georgia Guides

Construction on Interstate 16 commenced in March of 1963 on a 16.2-mile long segment in Laurens and Treutlen Counties. That portion opened to traffic on October 11, 1966. Second to open was a 28-mile section in the Savannah area on November 24, 1967. Completion of Interstate 16 in Macon followed by 1968. Additional stretches of freeway opened in stages during the 1970s between the two endpoints and on September 22, 1978, the last 25.5-mile stretch of I-16, in Emanuel, Candler, and Bulloch Counties, was complete.2

The course of Interstate 16 replaced U.S. 80 as the main route between Savannah and Macon. The routing avoided the U.S. 80 cities of Statesboro, Dublin, and Swainsboro to provide a more direct route to Macon. The freeway includes contraflow provisions for hurricane evacuation scenarios where officials can convert I-16 into a westbound only route from Savannah west to Dublin, a distance of 115 miles.

Interstate 16 scenes
U.S. 319 & 441 north at the westbound on-ramp to Interstate 16 in Dublin. 12/20/08

Sources:
  1. "10 events that shaped our region." Macon Telegraph, September 30, 2012.
  2. Economic Development History of Interstate 16 in Georgia - Economic Development - FHWA.


Photo Credits:

12/20/08 by AARoads

Connect with:
Interstate 75
Interstate 95
Interstate 516 - W.F. Lynes Parkway

Page Updated 01-24-2014.

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