Latest Updates

Public workshop scheduled for March 4

The City of Savannah and GDOT invite residents, business owners, and other stakeholders to attend a public workshop about Project DeRenne mitigation on Wednesday, March 4 in the Eckburg Auditorium at Savannah Technical College. The workshop will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. A brief presentation will begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by an interactive activity that requires a cellular device with an internet connection.

Mitigation consists of measures that make impacts from Project DeRenne less severe, thereby reducing or eliminating harm. The purpose of this workshop is to provide the public with an opportunity to review and comment on existing and potential mitigation measures developed by the project team, GDOT, and the City of Savannah, and through previous public outreach.

  • WHAT: Public workshop for Project DeRenne mitigation
  • WHEN: Wednesday, March 4, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (presentation at 4:30 p.m.)
  • WHERE: Eckburg Auditorium at Savannah Technical College, 5717 White Bluff Road, Savannah, GA 31405

January 2026

Environmental Studies Update

Updates to environmental studies to support the upcoming Draft EIS Reevaluation are continuing:

  • Ecology Addendum - Approved
  • Historic Resources Survey Addendum - Approved
  • History Reevaluation Memo – Approved
  • Archaeological Survey – Submitted to GDOT and currently in review
  • Noise Addendum – Updated traffic has been received and noise models are being updated with revised traffic
  • Air Addendum – In progress

November/December 2025

Public Outreach and Engagement Update

Public outreach and engagement efforts are ongoing:

  • Town Hall Meeting: A community meeting was held on November 18, 2025, at Jenkins High School to provide project updates and general information. 
  • Public Advisory Committee (PAC) Meetings #3 and #4: The third PAC meeting took place on November 20, 2025 was attended by 7 community representatives.  The fourth and final PAC meeting was held December 15, 2025, attended by 7 community representatives. Discussions and activities continued to engage the PAC members to provide input on suggested mitigation for the project.
  • Homeowners and Community Associations: Coordination with associations throughout the corridor was scheduled to meet and gather additional mitigation suggestions. Between September and December these smaller group meetings have engaged with over 260 citizens living on or near Project DeRenne, and comments related to mitigation have been received from representatives of 17 neighborhoods along the Project DeRenne corridor.
  • One on One Outreach: In November the Mitigation Survey Forms and flyers linking to the Project DeRenne webpage were handed out at several community facilities along the corridor including grocery stores, a bakery, St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital, and other businesses. Flyers and surveys were available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

Project Derenne Town Hall 2025Project Derenne Town Hall 2025

Environmental Studies Update

Updates to environmental studies to support the upcoming Draft EIS Reevaluation are continuing:

  • Ecology Addendum received additional comments from GDOT. The document was revised and resubmitted in December. 
  • Historic Resources Reevaluation Memo was approved by GDOT and transmitted to the State Historic Preservation Office in November for their records. 
  • Archaeological Survey field work was completed and the archaeology addendum was prepared and submitted to GDOT in November for review. 
     

October 2025

Public Outreach and Engagement Update

Public outreach and engagement efforts are ongoing:

  • Public Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting #2: The second PAC meeting took place on October 21, 2025 was attended by 8 community representatives.  Discussions and activities continued to engage the PAC members to provide input on suggested mitigation for the project.
  • Homeowners and Community Associations: Coordination with associations throughout the corridor was scheduled to meet and gather additional mitigation suggestions. 
  • Placards for Chatham Area Transit (CAT) Buses: Placards requesting input for mitigation for Project DeRenne and including a QR code to the Project DeRenne website were provided to CAT to post in all of their buses between the end of October 2025 and end of January 2026.

Environmental Studies Update

Updates to environmental studies to support the upcoming Draft EIS Reevaluation are continuing:

  • Ecology Addendum received comments from GDOT. The document was revised and resubmitted to GDOT. 
  • Historic Resources Reevaluation Memo was submitted to GDOT for review. 

September 2025

Public Outreach and Engagement Update

Public outreach and engagement efforts are ongoing and include:

Town Hall Meeting: A community meeting was held on June 3, 2025, at Haven Elementary School to provide project updates and general information. Approximately 20 people attended. A summary letter detailing written comments received and corresponding responses has been prepared. Download and read the letter.

Project DeRenne Town Hall

Public Advisory Committee (PAC): A PAC has been established, consisting of representatives from communities along the project corridor. The committee is focused on developing mitigation strategies for project-related impacts. Members are also responsible for encouraging community involvement. The first PAC meeting took place on September 30, 2025, with additional meetings scheduled for October, November, and December.

Website Updates: The project website continues to be updated. A new Mitigation page has been added, featuring a comment form for public input on mitigation strategies, as well as information on other ways to submit feedback.

Public Comment Boxes: To encourage additional input, comment boxes and mitigation forms have been placed at key locations along the Project DeRenne corridor:

  • Tatemville Community Center – 333 Coleman St., Savannah, GA 31405
  • Savannah Technical College (Lobby) – 5717 White Bluff Rd., Savannah, GA 31405
  • Baker's Pride Bakery – 840 East DeRenne Ave., Savannah, GA 31405

Environmental Studies Update

Updates to environmental studies to support the upcoming Draft EIS Reevaluation are continuing:

  • Ecology Addendum was submitted to GDOT for review and approval in September.
  • Historic Resources Reevaluation Memo is in internal QC and is expected to be submitted to GDOT for review and approval in October.
  • Archaeological Survey fieldwork is scheduled to begin in October, with an addendum to follow.
  • Air and Noise Addenda will begin when GDOT approves revised traffic projections, anticipated in October or November.

August 2025

Due to the time that has passed since the approval of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), the City of Savannah hosted a Town Hall Meeting on June 3, 2025. The purpose of the meeting was to reintroduce the project to the public, provide a reminder of the proposed improvements, and outline the schedule and next steps leading to the project’s next major milestone—right-of-way acquisition.

Displays illustrating the proposed improvements were available, and representatives from the City of Savannah and the project design team were present to answer questions. Approximately 20 members of the public attended the Town Hall. The display materials from the meeting are available on the project website. A response letter addressing all public comments received during the meeting has also been prepared and can be viewed and downloaded here.

Environmental study updates began this summer to ensure all documentation reflects current policies, procedures, and regulations, and accurately describes the impacts of the proposed improvements. These updates will support the upcoming DEIS Reevaluation, required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  Field surveys for ecology and historic resources have been completed, and archaeological field surveys are expected to begin within the next month. Additionally, an updated noise assessment—based on revised traffic projections—is anticipated to begin this fall. All environmental studies are expected to be completed and approved by the end of 2025.

As part of the project’s environmental process, the City of Savannah has identified several mitigation measures it intends to implement. Public input on these and other potential mitigation strategies will be sought in the coming months through a variety of outreach efforts.  The extent of this outreach includes, but is not limited to, updates and the ability to comment through this project web page, speaking at Homeowner’s Association meetings, and reengaging a Public Advisory Committee (PAC).