Tybee Island business owners push back on Highway 80 project
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TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. () – The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is still in talks to make Highway 80 a single lane each way from the Lazaretto Creek Bridge to the highway’s end at Tybrisa Street.

The plans have been met with pushback from some Tybee Island business owners, especially recently, since factors such as recent construction and Orange Crush served as a “test run” for what could come in the future.

This is in addition to what they said they have experienced with living on the island for decades.

“It appears to be a well-intended, non-functional engineering event,” said Keith Gay, Tybee Beach Vacation Rentals owner.

GDOT has told and expressed at public forums with Tybee residents that the single-lane highway would reduce delays.

Still, some people beg to differ, and have told their other concerns which they said outweighs GDOT’s pitch.

“70% of the island is saying this is a terrible idea, and they are saying ‘we don’t care,'” Ron Goralczyk, who owns taxi service Breezy Riders.

He relies on clear roads for speedy service, and now fears for the future of his company should the project happen.

“I’ve seen highway projects put companies out of business before,” said Goralczyk.

He told he has has stop service when the city has closed lanes in the past, most recently for Orange Crush.

Breezy Riders is based directly in the heart of Tybee’s busiest area, 14th Street and Highway 80.

“I can’t leave from 14th Street,” said Goralczyk, “Then you have to deal with traffic. You can’t do your job if you can’t move.”

Gay said the traffic concerns are his biggest worry.

Tybee Beach Vacation Rentals is located on Highway 80 nearly two miles east of the Lazaretto Creek Bridge.

“It’s going to stack traffic clear over the bridge and beyond, and everyone knows coming off the island and on the island that one lane traffic not good,” said Gay.

For Gay’s business, easy access to the island is critical.

“If you have difficulty getting access and it becomes more and more complicated, which is what this is going to do, people are not going to come, and that’s the problem,” said Gay.

GDOT still wants to hear feedback from residents before making concrete plans for the project.

That been happening through a series of public forums with the latest happening March.

A GDOT spokesperson told a date has not yet been set for the next meeting.

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