U.S. Route 17 Alternate (Savannah, Georgia)

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U.S. Highway 17 Alternate in Savannah, Georgia was a route that existed from the 1950s to the 1990s. The route was constructed to provide motorists with a controlled highway alternative to U.S. Highway 17, which was a more rural route, via the newly constructed Eugene Talmadge Bridge. Originally US 17A was intended to become the new US 17 route, but the state of South Carolina disagreed with the re-routing. US 17A was undersigned with Georgia Route 25 Alternate.

In the late 1980s, the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge needed to be taken down due to structural damage from ships which had crashed into the pilings. In its place, a much bigger, taller bridge was built. This bridge had sails which could be seen for miles in all directions. In addition, an elevated road was built in back of the Savannah College of Art and Design campus, over Louisville Road, and eventually hooking up with Interstate 16. Now motorists had a direct, non-controlled route to travel to from Georgia to South Carolina without having to travel through urban Savannah. In addition this new bridge was signed as Georgia Route 404 Spur, as Interstate 16 was also signed as Georgia Route 404. The state now wished once again to re-route US 17 over the Eugene Talmadge Bridge. This time, South Carolina complied, and US 17 was re-routed north over the bridge into South Carolina. Other re-routings took place, and they are listed on this page. In addition, a new route was commissioned along part of the old US 17/GA 25 route, which was labeled State Route 25 Connector.

[edit] Original Intersections

From South to North.

US 17A/GA 25A begun at the intersection between US 17/GA 25 and Stiles Road in Savannah, heading up Stiles Road.
US 17A/GA 25A the continued through the entirety of Stiles Road, past Gwinnett Street.
Stiles Road ends on Old Louisville Road (now Louisville Road). US 17A/GA 25A then moves eastward on Old Louisville Road.
Only .4 miles later, Old Louisville Road meets W. Boundary Street. US 17A/GA 25A continued north on W. Boundary Street.
.3 miles later, W. Boundary Street ends on York Street (now Oglethorpe Avenue). US 17A/GA 25A continues northbound on York St. over the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge and into South Carolina.
8 miles later, US 17A reunited with the original US 17.

[edit] New US 17 related re-routings

New US Highway 17: From Coastal Highway/Ogeechee Road's intersection with Interstate 516, the new US 17 runs northbound on I-516, then travels eastward on I-16, only to spur off on the newly erected GA S404/Eugene Talmadge Bridge, across the Savannah River and into South Carolina. Due to neglegence, US 17 highway roadsigns still remain standing on Coastal Highway in Garden City and Port Wentworth, as well as on Ogeechee Road in Savannah.
Georgia Route 25: Originally, GA 25 undersigned US 17 throughout its run in Georgia. GA 25 was re-routed up I-516 along US 17, but for the first time ever, was split off at the I-16 interchange. As US 17 now heads down I-16, GA 25 continues up I-516 northward until the final exit off Burnsed Blvd./GA C26 in Garden City, to where it travels a mere hundred feet northward hitting Main Street. At this point, GA 25 has reunited with its original route on Main Street/Coastal Highway, which it remains a part of, only now without US 17.
Georgia Route 25A: While US 17A was completely decommissioned, GA 25A was merely re-routed along the new US 17 beginning at the I-516/I-16 intersection where US 17 and GA 25 split. This specific route is unsigned.
US Highway 80/Georgia Route 26: Originally cosigned with US 17/GA 25 through Savannah via Montgomery Drive and Bay Street, US 80/GA 26 was halted early on Bay Street at its intersection with E. Lathrop Avenue. The road now continues southward down E. Lathrop to its intersection at Augusta Ave, then slightly eastward towards the Interstate 516 exit. US 80/GA 26 hops on I-516 southbound until it hops off on the Ogeechee Road/Coastal Highway exit along with US 17/GA 25. While US 17/GA 25 continues southwest, US 80/GA 26 continues in the opposite direction until it meets with Victory Drive. The routes then turn on Victory Drive east to Montgomery St., the route's original turning point. The rest of the route to Tybee Island remains unchanged.