The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and City of Savannah will formalize the preliminary engineering commitments for the federal earmark received to support planning activities for the removal of the I-16 Flyover Ramp over Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to Montgomery Street. The $720,000 earmark requires a local match by the City in the amount of $180,000. In June 2023, the Coastal Region (CORE) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) adopted amendments to the 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) and FY 2021 – 2024 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to move forward with authorizing preliminary engineering activities to include an Interchange Modification Report (IMR) and project scoping. The Office of Management and Budget confirmed that this capital project has been prefunded.  

In September 2023, the City submitted a grant to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program to support planning activities associated with the removal of the I-16 Ramp. The $1.8 million request for planning funds includes a $450,000 local match to support equitable redevelopment plan, conceptual design, environmental studies, and outreach program. If funded, the City will be able to finalize planning efforts to remove the exit ramps to reconnect the once historic grid street network with new connections and provide access for neighboring communities to downtown, the Canal District, and new arena. The removal of the ramps is intended to spur neighborhood revitalization and equitable redevelopment opportunities over the reclaimed eight acres of land in downtown Savannah for affordable housing, businesses, civic spaces, and other community needs as identified through a future public engagement process.

Approve the Memorandum of Agreement between the Georgia Department of Transportation and City of Savannah for preliminary engineering activities associated with the removal of the I-16 Flyover Ramp and the $720,000 earmark which requires a local match of $180,000.