Hurricane Ian: GDOT to close Talmadge, Sidney Lanier bridges on Thursday over storm concerns
On Wednesday, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) announced that they would close the Talmadge Bridge and Sidney Lanier Bridge at 9 a.m. tomorrow due to concerns over anticipated gale-force winds from Hurricane Ian.
According to GDOT, the move is being done out of an abundance of caution. "The predicted strength of the wind at the bridge's elevations will render vehicles susceptible to incidents. Motorists attempting to navigate vehicles across the bridges in conditions with the high wind levels anticipated from Hurricane Ian may not be able to properly control their vehicles," a release stated.
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The bridges will stay closed after the storm passes so GDOT officials can perform an extensive inspection.
The released added that the Houlihan Bridge on State Route 25 over the Savannah River in Port Wentworth will remain closed to all maritime traffic effective immediately for the duration of this weather event, but will remain open for vehicular traffic.
Effects of Hurricane Ian are expected to impact the Savannah and Chatham County area beginning late Thursday with the largest impact happening on Friday.
Earlier on Wednesday, county officials told residents to prepare for flooding but did not see a reason to call for evacuations at this time.
Zach Dennis is the editor of the arts and culture section, and weekly Do Savannah alt-weekly publication at the Savannah Morning News. He can be reached at zdennis@savannahnow.com or 912-239-7706.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Hurricane Ian Savannah: Talmadge, Sidney Lanier bridges to close
