U.S. Route 17 in Georgia

Route description

All of US 17 in Georgia that does not have a local street name is known as Ocean Highway (alternatively spelled "Ocean Hiway"), which was the name of an auto trail established in 1935 connecting Jacksonville, Florida with New York, New York. The Georgia General Assembly made the Ocean Hiway designation official in a 1958 resolution that recognized the concerted advertising effort of the Ocean Hiway Association, its impact on tourism, and the signage of the highway in the coastal states to the north. US 17 travels concurrently with SR 25 for almost its entire length in the state. The highways split at the I-16/I-516 interchange in Savannah; US 17 follows I-16 and its unsigned companion SR 404 and then signed SR 404 Spur to the South Carolina state line at the Savannah River, while SR 25 heads northwest along the old route of US 17 to Port Wentworth to cross the river upstream from the city. US 17 is a part of the National Highway System from I-95 west of Brunswick to SR 25 Spur in Brunswick, and from a point about halfway between Midway and Richmond Hill to the South Carolina state line.

Kingsland to Brunswick

US 17 enters Camden County from Nassau County, Florida by crossing the St. Marys River on a through truss bridge. The two-lane highway closely parallels the First Coast Railroad, formerly part of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (now CSX Transportation) through the southern part of the county. US 17 crosses Catfish Creek before entering the city of Kingsland. The U.S. Highway travels through the city as Lee Street, which crosses the St. Mary's Railroad at its junction with the First Coast line just south of SR 40 (King Street), which parallels the railroad east to St. Marys. Leaving Kingsland, the highway intersects a spur from the rail line and crosses the main flow and the North Fork Crooked River. US 17 parallels the First Coast Railroad to its terminus at the hamlet of Seals. The highway travels through Colesburg before entering the city of Woodbine, the county seat of Camden County. Within the city, US 17 follows four-lane divided Bedell Avenue, which intersects SR 25 Spur (10th Street), a connector between the center of town and I-95. The highway intersects and begins to travel concurrently with SR 110 (4th Street) within the Woodbine Historic District. US 17 and SR 110 reduce to two lanes and leave town by crossing the Satilla River.

US 17 and SR 110 cross Piney Island Creek and meet the eastern terminus of SR 252 (Burnt Fort Road) at the hamlet of White Oak just south of White Oak Creek. The U.S. Highway and state route cross Waverly Creek then diverge at Waverly. US 17 curves east and enters Glynn County by crossing the Little Satilla River at Spring Bluff. The U.S. Highway curves north and within a suburban area has a four-way intersection with US 82/SR 520 (South Georgia Parkway) and the southern terminus of SR 303 (Blythe Island Highway). US 17 turns east onto four-lane divided South Georgia Parkway, here also known as Jekyll Island Road, to travel concurrently with US 82/SR 520. The concurrency with US 82 ends at that highway's eastern terminus at a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-95. US 17 and SR 520 cross Fancy Bluff Creek onto Colonel's Island and the highway becomes undivided at its crossing of the Golden Isles Terminal Railroad between a pair of automobile manufacturing plants. The highway becomes divided again shortly before SR 520 splits east as Jekyll Island Road toward Jekyll Island as US 17 curves north to cross the Brunswick River on the cable-stayed Sidney Lanier Bridge into the city of Brunswick.

Brunswick to Richmond Hill

US 17 heads along the eastern edge of Brunswick as Glynn Avenue, a controlled-access four-lane divided highway that has junctions with the southern termini of US 341/SR 27 (4th Avenue) and US 25/SR 25 Conn. (Gloucester Street). The highway gains a third lane southbound at US 25/SR 25 Conn. and a third lane northbound at the F.J. Torras Causeway to St. Simons Island, which is unsigned SR 25 Spur E. US 17 crosses Cypress Mill Creek and leaves the city limits just south of its directional intersection with SR 25 Conn. (Golden Isles Parkway), which connects US 17 with I-95. There is no direct access from southbound SR 25 Conn. to northbound US 17; that movement is made via the U.S. Highway's junction with the northern terminus of SR 303 (Cypress Mill Road). The U.S. Highway continues north with four lanes through a suburban area north of Brunswick. US 17 reduces to two lanes just north of Chapel Crossing Road to the east of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. The U.S. Highway re-enters a rural area as it passes to the east of Brunswick Golden Isles Airport. US 17 begins to travel concurrently with I-95 Bus./SR 99 and travels along the edge of the Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation Historic Site before crossing the South Altamaha River into McIntosh County.

I-95 Bus., US 17, and SR 99 travel through the Altamaha Waterfowl Management Area, during which the highways traverse Champney Island, Butler Island, and Generals Island. The highways cross between the islands by crossing the Champney River and the Butler River, which are branches of the Altamaha River, and the Darien River, where the highways enter the city of Darien, the county seat of McIntosh County, as Walton Street. In the center of town, SR 99 splits east onto Adams Street and I-95 Bus./US 17 continues as North Way, which is a four-lane undivided street in the city. North of the city limits, I-95 Bus. splits west along SR 251 and the U.S. Highway reduces to two lanes and passes Eden Field Airport. US 17 crosses a pair of swamps around the hamlet of Ardick and intersects SR 99 (Ridge Road) again at Eulonia. The highway crosses the Sapelo River and Buck Hill Swamp on its way to its crossing of the South Newport River at South Newport.

US 17 continues north through Liberty County and meets I-95 at a diamond interchange. The highway enters the sparsely populated city of Riceboro at Payne Creek. US 17 temporarily expands to four lanes between its crossing of the Riceboro Southern Railway, which is part of the former Seaboard Air Line corridor, and its intersection with the eastern terminus of SR 119 (E.B. Cooper Highway). At the north end of town, the highway crosses Riceboro Creek. US 17 crosses Peacock Creek and enters the city of Midway at Porter Creek. US 17 intersects US 84/SR 38 (Oglethorpe Highway) in the center of town. The U.S. Highway expands to a four-lane divided highway at its intersection with SR 196 (Leroy Coffer Highway) just before crossing Mount Hope Creek, a tributary of the Jerico River, at the Liberty–Bryan county line. US 17 enters a suburban area and parallels the city limits of Richmond Hill, which is immediately to the west, until the highway enters the city proper just before its partial cloverleaf interchange with I-95. The U.S. Highway crosses over CSX's Nahunta Subdivision and intersects SR 144 (Ford Avenue) before leaving the city and entering Chatham County by crossing the Ogeechee River at Kings Ferry.

Richmond Hill to Savannah

US 17 continues northeast as Ogeechee Road through a suburban area. The U.S. Highway meets SR 204 (Abercorn Expressway) at a diamond interchange in the suburb of Georgetown then crosses the Little Ogeechee River. US 17 meets the southern terminus of SR 307 (Dean Forest Road) just west of Salt Creek, then continues east as a five-lane road with center turn lane. The highway crosses over CSX's Nahunta Subdivision before reaching I-516/SR 21 (W.F. Lynes Parkway) at a diamond interchange the city limit of Savannah. Ogeechee Road continues toward downtown Savannah as US 80/SR 26; both U.S. Highways head north from the interchange on four-lane I-516. The freeway has a partial interchange with Tremont Street (southbound exit, northbound entrance), which serves the Savannah Amtrak station, and crosses CSX's Savannah Subdivision before its interchange with I-16 (Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway). US 17 heads east on six-lane I-16 while US 80, SR 21, SR 25, and SR 26 continue north concurrent with I-516.

I-16 and US 17 have a partial interchange with the eastern terminus of SR 204, then curve northeast. The U.S. Highway diverges from I-16 one interchange west of the Interstate's eastern terminus and just south of a partial interchange (northbound exit, southbound entrance) with Gwinnett Street. Four-lane US 17, which is also signed as SR 404 Spur, travels through another pair of partial interchanges: a northbound exit, southbound entrance for Louisville Road and southbound exit, northbound entrance for a spur to Oglethorpe Street. North of the latter interchange, US 17 ascends onto the cable-stayed Tallmadge Memorial Bridge, which crosses over Bay Street and the main channel of the Savannah River. The U.S. Highway descends onto Hutchinson Island, crosses over Wayne Shackelford Boulevard and the Savannah Port Terminal Railroad, and has a partial cloverleaf interchange with the boulevard, which leads to the Savannah Convention Center. Within the interchange, US 17 reduces to two lanes and crosses the Back River, another branch of the Savannah River, on a low-level bridge into Jasper County, South Carolina.

History

In the early 1920s, SR 25 initially traveled only from Sterling south to Brunswick and north into Savannah and South Carolina; SR 27 continued south from Sterling (initially along present SR 99 and Haynor Road north of Waverly) into Florida. US 17 was designated along the route in 1926, and by 1930 the whole route was SR 25.

The Talmadge Memorial Bridge opened in 1953, carrying US 17 Alt. and SR 25 Alt. over the Savannah River into South Carolina. In 1994, US 17 Alt. and SR 25 Alt. were eliminated, and US 17/SR 25 was rerouted over them.

The section of US 17 known as the "Gateway to Historic Brunswick and The Golden Isles" was included in The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's 2006 list of Places in Peril.

Future

US 17 is scheduled to be widened in northern Glynn County in the coming years. The Georgia Department of Transportation is currently planning to convert the highway from a two-lane undivided road to a four-lane divided highway for a 6 miles (9.7 km) segment from Yacht Drive where it currently becomes two lanes north to SR 99. This segment of highway frequently gets congested during peak hours, lacks left turn lanes, and has had a high rate of accidents in recent years. According to GDOT, construction will begin around 2020.

SR 25

State Route 25 (SR 25) is US 17's companion route along much of the U.S. Highway's course through Georgia. The state highway has a total length of 129.07 miles (207.72 km); the highway travels concurrently with US 17 for 119.56 miles (192.41 km) from the Florida state line south of Kingsland north to Savannah. SR 25 has a length of 9.51 miles (15.30 km) from its split with US 17 in Savannah to the South Carolina state line near Port Wentworth.

SR 25 splits from US 17 at the I-16/I-516 interchange in Savannah. US 17 heads east with I-16 (Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway) toward downtown Savannah and the Talmadge Memorial Bridge. SR 25 continues north on I-516 (W.F. Lynes Parkway), a four-lane freeway that also carries US 80, SR 21, SR 26, and the unsigned SR 421. The freeway has a half-diamond interchange with Gwinnett Street, which connects downtown Savannah with the Savannah Amtrak station. The interchange allows access to and from the south. After crossing a rail line belonging to the Savannah Port Terminal Railroad, I-516, SR 21, and SR 25 diverge from US 80 and SR 26 and meet the western end of SR 25 Conn. at another partial interchange. The southern part of the interchange includes ramps from northbound SR 25 to Augusta Street and from Augusta Street to southbound SR 25; Augusta Street serves as a connector to Bay Street, on which US 80/SR 26 heads west and SR 25 Conn. heads east. The interchange also includes ramps from southbound SR 25 to SR 25 Conn., SR 25 Conn. to northbound SR 25, and from northbound SR 25 to Lathrop Avenue, which serves an industrial area along the Savannah River.

Within the interchange with US 80/SR 26 and SR 25 Conn., I-516, SR 21, and SR 25 curve northwest. The highways cross CSX's Charleston Subdivision and parallel Bay Street toward the northern terminus of I-516 at a partial cloverleaf interchange with Burnseed Boulevard on the boundary of the cities of Savannah and Garden City. SR 25 exits onto the four-lane connector between US 80/SR 26 and Main Street; SR 21 continues northwest as the freeway transitions to Augusta Road, a four-lane divided highway. SR 25 turns northwest onto Main Street, a five-lane road with center turn lane, crosses a canal, and parallels a portion of the port railroad. The highway reduces to two lanes at its intersection with SR 21 Spur (Brampton Road), which heads into the Port of Savannah. SR 25 curves north as it crosses a pair of intersecting rail lines and passes between the port property to the east and a residential area of Garden City to the west.

SR 25 meets the northern end of SR 307 (Bourne Avenue) just after leaving Garden City. The highway continues as Coastal Highway into Port Wentworth, the site of the 2008 Georgia sugar refinery explosion. SR 25 meets the eastern end of SR 30 (Bonnybridge Road) before leaving Port Wentworth and curving east around the northern end of an industrial area. The highway crosses the Front River, the main channel of the Savannah River, on the Houlihan Bridge, a through truss swing bridge. SR 25 continues east across Onslow Island, crosses the Middle River, cuts through Argyle Island, then crosses the Little Back River into South Carolina. The highway continues as South Carolina Highway 170 (SC 170), which intersects US 17 south of Hardeeville.

SR 25 Alternate Savannah

State Route 25 Alternate (SR 25 ALT.) was co-signed with the former U.S. Route 17 Alt. until 1994.

SR 25 Connector Brunswick

State Route 25 Connector (SR 25 Conn.) is a 1.08-mile (1.74 km) connector route from US 341/SR 27 east to US 17/SR 25 in Brunswick. The connector route begins at US 341/SR 27 (Bay Street) where US 25 turns east from Bay Street onto Gloucester Street, which is the main east–west street through downtown Brunswick. The route travels concurrently with US 25 along a four-lane undivided street east through the downtown area, then enters a residential area after intersecting Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. US 25 reaches its national southern terminus and SR 25 Conn. reaches its eastern terminus at their intersection with US 17/SR 25 (Glynn Avenue) at the eastern end of the street grid opposite Glynn County's famous marshes.

SR 25 Connector Savannah

State Route 25 Connector (SR 25 Conn.) is a 3.11-mile (5.01 km) connector route between US 17 and SR 25 in Savannah. The route begins as Augusta Avenue at a half-diamond interchange with I-516, SR 21, and SR 25; the interchange allows access to and from the south. SR 25 Conn. and US 80/SR 26 travel concurrently on four-lane Augusta Avenue to Bay Street, onto which US 80/SR 26 heads west and SR 25 Conn. heads east; the road continues north as Lathrop Avenue. East of the intersection, the connector route receives a ramp from the southbound freeway and has an exit ramp from the westbound direction to the northbound freeway. SR 25 Conn. follows Bay Street, a four-lane undivided street, toward downtown Savannah. The street crosses over a portion of the Savannah Port Terminal Railroad on the Dorothy Barnes Pelote Bridge before traveling under the Talmadge Memorial Bridge. At the west edge of historic Savannah's street grid, SR 25 Conn. turns south onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The highway follows the four-lane undivided street to Oglethorpe Avenue, a four-lane divided street the highway follows west to its terminus at a partial interchange with US 17 and SR 404 Spur. The interchange allows access to and from the Talmadge Memorial Bridge to Hutchinson Island and South Carolina.

SR 25 Spur Brunswick

State Route 25 Spur (SR 25 Spur) is a 7.5-mile (12.1 km) spur route on the north side of Brunswick that serves to connect I-95 with the Golden Isles via US 17/SR 25. The spur route, which is named Golden Isles Parkway, begins at a directional intersection with US 17/SR 25 in the city of Brunswick. There is no direct access from southbound SR 25 Spur to northbound US 17/SR 25; that movement is made via the spur's first intersection with SR 303 (Cypress Mill Road). The four-lane divided highway heads northwest as a controlled-access highway through a suburban area north of Brunswick. SR 25 Spur passes to the west of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and Brunswick Golden Isles Airport. The spur route has a diamond interchange with I-95, where it ends.

SR 25 Spur E

State Route 25 Spur E (SR 25 Spur E) is the unsigned 4.13-mile (6.65 km) designation for the F.J. Torras Causeway, which serves as the only road connection between Brunswick and both St. Simons Island and Sea Island. The spur route begins at an intersection with US 17/SR 25 (Glynn Avenue) northeast of downtown Brunswick. The highway heads east as a four-lane divided highway through the marshes on the east side of Brunswick. The F.J. Torras Causeway crosses Terry Creek, the Back River, Little River, Mackay River, (which serves as part of the Intracoastal Waterway,) and Frederica River. After crossing the last river, the state highway alights onto Gascoigne Bluff on St. Simons Island and reaches its eastern terminus. The roadway continues north as Sea Island Road through St. Simons Island towards Sea Island.

SR 25 Spur Woodbine

State Route 25 Spur (SR 25 Spur) is a 2.79-mile (4.49 km) connector route from US 17/SR 25 east to I-95 in Woodbine. The spur route begins at US 17/SR 25 (Bedell Avenue) south of downtown Woodbine. SR 25 Spur heads east as two-lane 10th Street, which leaves the street grid and enters a rural, forested area. The route reaches its eastern terminus at the eastern edge of its diamond interchange with I-95. The road continues east as county-maintained Lang Road.