Jimmy DeLoach Parkway

Jimmy DeLoach Parkway
Route information
Length	8.8 mi[1] (14.2 km)
Major junctions
West end	US 80 / SR 17 / SR 26 in Bloomingdale
	I-95 in Savannah
East end	SR 21 Alt. in Port Wentworth
Location
Counties	Chatham
Highway system
	Georgia State Routes; Interstate; U.S.; State Special; ;

Jimmy DeLoach Parkway is a 8.8-mile-long (14.2 km) parkway in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is located a few miles northwest of the main part of Savannah. It is a road that links US 80/SR 17/SR 26 in Bloomingdale with SR 21 Alt. in Port Wentworth. It also has an interchange with Interstate 95 (I-95). It was named after Jimmy DeLoach, former mayor of Garden City and Chatham County commissioner for District 7.[2][3]

The parkway is planned to be extended along part of Bloomingdale Road to I-16 and have a concurrency with SR 17 for the entire length of the extension. SR 17's former path is planned to become SR 17 Spur. It is planned to be designated as SR 1251 until it opens. Construction began in 2018.[4]

Route description

The parkway starts at an at-grade intersection with US 80/SR 17/SR 26 in the central part of Bloomingdale. The highway then heads to the northeast, and then curves to the north-northeast. It makes a gradual curve to the east-northeast. Just west of Towler Road, it begins a curve to the northeast and then leaves Bloomingdale and enters the northern part of Pooler. After curving back to the east-northeast, the parkway leaves Pooler just east of an intersection with the southern terminus of Triple B Trail and enters the far northwestern part of Savannah. It curves to the northeast and then to the southeast just before an interchange with exit 106 on Interstate 95 (I-95). The parkway then begins a curve back to the east-northeast just before an intersection with Crossroads Parkway. It travels on a bridge over some railroad tracks of Norfolk Southern Railway and then on another bridge over some railroad tracks of CSX. Just east of an intersection with the northern terminus of Portside Court and the southern terminus of Logistics Way, the parkway curves to the southeast. A short distance later, it curves back to the east-northeast. On the Savannah–Port Wentworth line, it travels on a bridge over some railroad tracks of CSX and SR 21/SR 30. The parkway then enters Port Wentworth proper and has an interchange with SR 21 Alternate (SR 21 Alt.; Sonny Dixon Interchange / Jimmy DeLoach Connector). Here, the parkway's mainline ends, and the roadway continues as the connector.

History

Between the beginning of 1986 and the beginning of 1990, the roadway that would eventually become part of the parkway was established as Godley Road between US 80/SR 26 in the northern part of Bloomingdale to SR 21/SR 30 in the central part of Port Wentworth.[5][6] By the beginning of 1993, a revamping of this road was proposed from SR 17 in the southwestern part of Bloomingdale to SR 21/SR 30 just north of its eastern terminus.[6][7] However, by the beginning of 1997, this plan was canceled.[7][8] In 2017, it was planned to extended Jimmy DeLoach Parkway from its current southern terminus at US 80/SR 17/SR 26, partially along the path of Bloomingdale Road (from SR 17's current southern terminus at I-16 to just south of its intersection with the northern terminus of Pine Barren Road). Construction on the extension began in 2018.[4]

Namesake

James "Jimmy" DeLoach was a Democrat. He served three terms as Mayor of Garden City from 1973 to 1979. In 1980, he was elected to a four-year term as Chatham County commissioner for District 7.[9] He was re-elected in 1984 and 1988. He did not run for re-election in 1992. His son Eddie, who is a Republican, succeeded him; and went on to become the 66th Mayor of Savannah.[10]

Future

The at-grade intersection at Jimmy DeLoach Parkway's current western terminus is to be converted into a full diamond interchange. The extension of the parkway is planned to be designated as SR 1251 until it is opened. The former alignment of SR 17 is planned to be redesignated as SR 17 Spur. Also, the eastern end of Osteen Road, which lies on the right-of-way of the extension, is to be shifted to the west.[4]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Chatham County.

Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Bloomingdale			I-16 (Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway / SR 404) / SR 17 begins / Little Neck Road south – Macon, Savannah	Future western terminus;[4] southern terminus of SR 17; southern terminus of future SR 17 Spur;[4] northern terminus of Little Neck Road; future western end of SR 17 concurrency;[4] I-16 exit 152
			Pine Barren Road south[4]	Northern terminus of Pine Barren Road
	0.0	0.0	US 80 / SR 17 / SR 26	Current western terminus; at-grade intersection; future eastern end of SR 17 concurrency; future northern terminus of SR 17 Spur; [4] future diamond interchange[4]
Savannah	6.3– 6.5	10.1– 10.5	I-95 (SR 405) – Savannah, Florence	I-95 exit 106
Port Wentworth	8.5– 8.8	13.7– 14.2	Sonny Dixon Interchange (SR 21 Alt. / Jimmy DeLoach Connector south) to SR 21 / SR 30	Future southern terminus of SR 17; eastern terminus of Jimmy DeLoach Parkway; northern terminus of Jimmy DeLoach Connector; Sonny Dixon Interchange
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Unopened

References

Google (October 28, 2019). "Overview map of Jimmy DeLoach Parkway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
"Parkway Opens in Port Wentworth". West Chatham News & Features. May 15–22, 2002. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved April 25, 2007.
"Fatal Wreck on Jimmy Deloach". WTOC-TV. January 22, 2008. Archived from the original on July 29, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
"Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Urban Attributable (Z230) Funds" (PDF). Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission. January 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
Georgia Department of Transportation (1986). General Highway Map: Chatham County, Georgia (Map). Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation – via GDOT Maps.
Georgia Department of Transportation (1990). General Highway Map: Chatham County, Georgia (Map). Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation – via GDOT Maps.
Georgia Department of Transportation (1993). General Highway Map: Chatham County, Georgia (Map). Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation – via GDOT Maps.
Georgia Department of Transportation (1997). General Highway Map: Chatham County, Georgia (Map). Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation – via GDOT Maps.
Curl, Eric (July 3, 2018). "Former Garden City Mayor Jimmy DeLoach dies". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
Bluestein, Greg (December 30, 2015). "Change sweeps into Savannah, toppling Democratic stronghold". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 28, 2019.