Canal Road roundabout, Canal Road widening and other road projects move forward; several near mid‑2025 completion

Glynn County engineers reported construction progress across multiple SPLOST‑funded road and traffic projects — including the Canal Road/Glencoe roundabout, Canal Road widening, the Mackenzie Drive/DePrater Lane connection and the Dungeness Drive extension — and gave timelines and funding notes for each.

The update matters because these road projects address chronic congestion and safety problems on Saint Simons Island and the mainland, and several are already under construction or near completion.

Adam Cothern, field engineering division manager, and Jason Hartman, county engineer, briefed commissioners on status and schedule. Highlights included:

- Canal Road/Glencoe roundabout: a construction contract of roughly $9.9 million (contractor: curb and gutter professionals) began in mid‑2024 on a ~350‑day contract; the project team reported substantial progress on sidewalks and storm drainage and that binder paving and a planned traffic shift will accelerate remaining work. The project team said utility relocations (Georgia Power, AT&T, Live Oak Fiber) caused some delays but that a traffic shift will allow rapid progress; staff said they are aiming for a late‑summer completion (around Aug. 1) assuming weather and utility timelines.

- Canal Road widening (SPLOST 2016): reported as substantially complete; the project added lanes, curb and gutter, and drainage improvements. Staff said the contractor and inspection team kept traffic moving through construction and that only final punch‑list items and final striping remained at the briefing.

- Mackenzie Drive / DePrater Lane connection: construction contract about $2.3 million with a March 14 start; crews are building a new connection that will create another school access route and add a left‑turn lane onto GA‑341. Staff noted coordination with Georgia Department of Transportation and utility relocations, and that Joint Water & Sewer Commission (JWSC) reimbursed about $250,000 for utility work tied to concurrent infrastructure upgrades.

- Dungeness Drive extension: construction began after notice to proceed (start date April 21) on a roughly $790,000 contract; crews completed clearing and grading and will relocate some light poles with Georgia Power. The contractor has a 120‑day contract and staff said they expect detours as work requires; the county used some ARPA funds to help complete the Dungeness extension.

Public works and engineering staff also reviewed LMIG resurfacing work (county match program with GDOT), reporting the mainland portion of the 2024 program is complete and island work is scheduled for summer; they noted Old Jessup Road widening and resurfacing under LMIG improved traffic flow at a Canal Road turn lane.

No board votes were taken; staff said each project will return with procurement or award documents where required.