SAVANNAH, Ga. — Navigating I-16 near the junction with 516 is often a test of patience due to heavy traffic. However, drivers may soon find some relief as the Georgia Department of Transportation anticipates reopening the westbound lanes this week, just ahead of the Thanksgiving rush.

The intersection at 516 and I-16 has been a notorious bottleneck, with ongoing construction as part of the I-16/95 project causing significant delays. This project aims to widen the westbound lanes to three, enhancing traffic flow and reducing congestion in the area.

Kyle Collins, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Transportation, announced that the westbound lanes might be fully operational by Wednesday.

“Our current objective is to have all I-16 westbound lanes open by Wednesday,” Collins stated. “This marks the final segment yet to reach full capacity. Achieving this will complete the final alignment and configuration for the entire I-16/95 improvements.”

He also noted that this timeline is particularly beneficial as it coincides with anticipated holiday travel.

“This would qualify for the Thanksgiving holiday travel restrictions that usually kick in around the morning of Wednesday prior and then runs through the weekend to allow that heavy travel anticipated for Thanksgiving to flush out of the heavy metro areas, as obviously the I-16/95 corridor is one of those heavily congested areas at times during the holiday,” Collins said.

Even with lanes opening, the project is not complete.

“There will still be some work ongoing in the coming week, sometimes during the day, to do intermittent lane closures to finalize pavement, to get the final topping in the area of I-16… Some of the ramps around 516, mostly on the eastern side of the project, which is closer into the city,” Collins said.

GDOT called this stage substantial completion and expects to reach it by the end of the year. Crews will still have small fixes, but the major delays should ease.

“There’ll be some punch lists, some corrective work, maybe again some intermittent lane closures later this year and early next year. But the significant work on the project, once we get the stuff on I-16 open, we’ll consider that we’ve reached that stage,” Collins said.

Drivers should notice smoother traffic, but lane shifts will remain. New ramp meters on Dean Forest Road are expected to come online later this year.